The Catalyst
by Coilerfan35
Summary: She didn't know that failing was going to be her catalyst. But she didn't know that finally finding her way to him was going to be so confusing. Spoilers for the 100th episode, and the rest of the season. T for now, but you guys know me, that can't last..
1. One Hour

**AN: Can you say amazing episode? Jesus, it hurt me so much, but you know there still has to be hope for these two. And to bring that hope, I have this new multi-chap. Beware, this is probably going to be all angst, and little fluff. This is more an epilogue more than anything, which is why it's so short, but I hope that I can really get into this story, and give you longer chapters that both you (and I oddly) love.**

**They kissed...:D Way to go Sweets though, you always seem to break up the people we love the most...but maybe that's a good thing, because you can see Hodgins and Angela still connecting, and you know Booth isn't going to move on from Brennan. For god sakes he's been in love with her for YEARS!**

* * *

One hour.

That was all she could take; one hour.

They sat across from each other in the diner, smiling like nothing happened. Smiling like their psychologist didn't tell Booth to make a move. Smiling like they never kissed. Smiling like…they didn't silently confess that they loved each other…but pain still sat heavy in the chocolate eyes Temperance Brennan found solace in so many times; and it made her feel utterly pitiful.

At first she told herself she didn't know what she was feeling, but as she chased salad across her plate she knew that was a complete and utter lie.

"Bones," he whispered softly, his voice only making the ache in her chest more pronounced "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she whispered, barely audibly, looking up at him and smiling weakly while trying to keep him from seeing the sheen in her eyes. "It's just, it's late, and I'd better be getting home."

He smiled weakly, and he finally let his shoulder slump in defeat, watching once again as this woman he fell so madly in love with run for safety, throwing bills carelessly onto the table before arranging things in her purse.

"I've got it," he assured; a smile on his face that he didn't know how he mustered, one of the final cracks taking place within his heart as his fingers brushed against her hand when he pushed her money back towards him.

"Booth," she spoke, her voice floating softly between them, and bringing pure pain and sorrow to rest heavier on her shoulders. "It's just…I'm…"

"It's alright, just, do what you have to do Bones."

A single tear slid down her cheek as she shot up, and ran from the diner, ignoring a cab and walking as fast as she could to her house, while Booth sat, a gentle sniffle in his throat as he reached over and his finger dipped into the cool warm tear that rested on the table.

*****

She didn't know what to do, she barreled into her apartment and headed straight to the shower; somehow thinking that scolding water would not only burn away some of this unknown ache, but clear her mind of the thoughts running wild in her mind.

But she was wrong, something she found to be recurring when it came to this kind of stuff.

Even as fire ran down her spine, and her teeth clenched painfully as her skin turned red, her tears were still hotter, spilling down her cheeks and roaring loudly in her ears; like a waterfall 20 times louder than Niagara Falls.

Though eventually, she couldn't take the burning anymore and removed herself from the shower, finding herself shaking as she tried desperately to wrap a towel around herself.

She stumbled around her room, vision blurred, and breathing almost impossible as she pulled her panties and bra from her drawer, sliding them onto her body with a trouble she dizzying.

With a death grip on her threshold, she reached into her closet and pulled the first shirt out she saw. Much to her disadvantage, that shirt was one of Booth's that she slept in often.

A sob broke her lips as she slid the soft material over her head and she brought her nose to the collar, his cologne still strong on the cotton and bringing her body to full tremors before she pressed her back to the wall and she slid to her downfall.

Her fingers fisted in her hair and tears spilled like waterfalls from her eyes, her sobs quiet, but heart crushing as she whispered his name in choked up breaths; his sad eyes refusing to leave her mind.

She heard pictures hanging on her wall rattle as she shook, her throat finally emitting a low and pained groan, before she coughed and tears seemed to suffocate her in a tide pool of unfamiliar suffering.

She didn't know how long she sat in that position, but once her tears seemed to slow her whole face, neck, and arms were drenched, and she couldn't see until she squinted away lasting agony and read that it was 1 o'clock in the morning.

She tried pushing up off the floor but her arms failed and she fell on her side, finding her space suitable for some sort of rest. Her knees pressed into her chest and her body started to shake again, a last earthquake of hurt resting somewhere in her body; soft sobs being released to clash in the air of her bedroom.

"I told him I was trying to protect him," she whispered to herself, running her finger in absent minded patterns over her carpet "From me none the less, but, just seeing his eyes…I failed."

"I miserably and utterly failed."


	2. What Am I Going To Do

**An: Love is insane Brennan. Love is insane.**

* * *

"Where's Bones?" Booth asked, walking into Angela's office, his whole body numb and settled with a mask devoid of all emotion.

"She didn't come into work today," Angela said, shaking her head, her eyes set in worry "She won't answer my phone, she's not answering my emails, I went over to her apartment and nothing. I know she's there, I can hear her moving in her bedroom, but, nothing else. She wouldn't answer the door."

His head fell and he crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head and chewing on his lip "This is why I'm not a degenerate gambler anymore," he muttered under his breath.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Something happened last night Angela," Booth began, his hands tight on his arms as he remembered all the events that tore his heart to pieces "and nothing ended well."

"Something happened?" Angela asked, standing up and walking over to Booth, her eyes widening as she saw tears and gentle shivers run through this man who embodied the word 'tough'. "Oh god Booth, what happened?"

"I don't think I can talk about it anymore Angela," Booth whispered, sighing as the artist brought her arms around Booth's strong neck and hugged him tightly. "I…need to move on."

"Move on? From Brennan?"

Booth nodded as he pulled back, and rested his hands on Angela's shoulders "You've known. From the second I was finally partnered with her you knew; but I don't think even you can realize how much last night killed me."

"Booth…"

"Ask Sweets if you really want to know, you'll get the inside details, but I can already tell you have something formed in your head," he said, smiling weakly and pointing to her brain "And it's right."

"He told you to tell her…"

A pained nod was all she was awarded with and Angela once again wrapped her arms around Booth. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry, but you know Brennan, she needs time."

"I've given her 6 years of it Angela, and I can't take it anymore," he settled, wiping the beginning tear in his eye "I…I can't hurt like this anymore."

"But, you're Booth and Brennan…"

"That apparently doesn't mean what we all wished it to mean Ange."

"Booth, you love her! Like, head over heels, no coming back love her."

"It wasn't enough," he admitted sadly, shaking his head and reaching out, gently brushing the tear that leaked onto Angela's cheek. "Please Ange, don't cry, it's just a misconception."

"Misconception?" Angela asked, trying to keep the tears from resting on her skin "It's no misconception when you see two people fall so in love with each other, that-"

"Please," he interrupted, his hand coming between them "I don't need any more of this. If we were meant to be, then she would have said yes, but she didn't, and that's my sign to just…move on."

"To who?"

"I don't know Ange, I just hope that, whatever happens, she ends up happy," Booth finished, smiling weakly and touching her elbow "And I would appreciate it if you just kept this to yourself. Don't pester Bones about it, please, and if you talk to her, tell her I'll see her Monday."

"Oh Booth," Angela whispered, her arms crossed tight across her chest as she watched him walk away "You should know that by now a normal relationship with Temperance Brennan is impossible. I think you're meant to be with her, and I really hope she realizes that."

"Angela," Cam called, walking into the office with pure worry on her face, stricken by a quick moving Booth and a still crying Angela "What happened?"

"A journey ended in lovers' meeting," she whispered, a gentle smile of hope on her face.

Cam didn't understand, but simply nodded at the obvious brush off of the subject. She reluctantly retreated and Angela shook her head. It didn't make sense to Cam, but it made perfect sense to her.

*****

Her phone was silenced the whole day, and no matter how many times the damned machine lit up, she ignored it and continued going along with what she was doing.

She cleaned her whole entire house, dusted between all her books and figurines, washed her clothes and her sheets, and scrubbed every inch of house she had.

But when she finally relaxed, and the last candle she had was lit, she, for the first time in her life, curse the brain that she was so pleasantly gifted with.

That whole day she remembered the tears that fell down his cheeks, the way his shoulders just fell in utter defeat; and the gentle catch in his chest as he held back sobs of pain. That whole day she remembered him, and that whole day, her lips tingled.

She never felt that blast of electricity with anyone else, and maybe that alone was what scared her and incapacitated her to arrest herself within her apartment walls.

And like many times that day, her fingers came to rest on the soft skin of her lips, and a craving settled below the pain that refused to subside in her 'heart'.

She knew any other day she would have corrected herself, and would have gone off on some scientific explanation for the feelings she had, but today, she just didn't care. She didn't want to work, she didn't want to eat, and she didn't want to talk, she just…wanted to mourn.

Mourn for what? She didn't really know, but something inside of her felt…dead; and she was at a lack for better words.

"Oh what the hell," she whispered, finally picking up her phone and running through her missed calls, her throat closing when she found a good half of them were from Booth.

Multiple voicemails waited for her, and she quickly deleted Angela's threats until she reached the very last message, and his soothing voice filled her ear.

"Bones, I've been trying to get a hold of you all day, but you seemed to have just disappeared off the face of the earth," he tried joking, his soft laugh making her bottom lip quiver. "I…just, wanted to wish you a good weekend, and that I'll see you on Monday if I don't talk to you before then."

A smile reached her lips and her fingers quickly brushed the oncoming stream of tears away, her breath stopping all together when Booth's last words were spoken.

"No matter what happens Temperance, you're still my best friend, and I'll care about you dearly for the rest of my life."

"Call me if you want to," he whispered into her ear, her eyes closing tight as a violent shiver ran down her spine "I…I'll see ya."

"End of new messages," the mechanic voice droned in her ear, and her hand fell in defeat, her phone crashing to the ground while she sat hunched on her couch wondering to herself.

"What am I going to do?"


	3. Please Just Show Me

**AN: I love Brennan and Angela friendships within stories. I really do. :D Thanks to all of you who have favorited, alerted, alerted me, favorited me, etc. etc. because of this story. Your reviews always make me happy, and I kinda apologize for the tears I brought out of some people...but not really. xD It's a good thing...kinda.**

* * *

It was close to midnight that Friday night when Brennan finally emerged from her home.

She didn't speak or offer any visible emotion as the sliding glass doors opened to her whim, and the sterilized smell of the lab burned in her nose.

She knew she had nowhere else to go, and the all too familiar feelings of being an orphaned child settled raw below her heart.

She was alone in this world again; but she blamed her whole self for that.

She pushed away the one person who…loved her, and now she stood; frozen, below the towering metal columns that housed the reason she found so comforting.

"Hey sweetie."

"Ange," she gasped, whipping around in alarm "What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting for you," the tired artist said, climbing the steps of the dimly lit platform. "I know you well enough that a dark and quiet lab is a hot spot for an upset Brennan."

"Upset?" Temperance scoffed weakly, unable to meet her friend's eyes "I'm not upset."

"Then why has your phone been off all day? Why did you not answer the door when I came over and heard you moving in the bedroom?" Angela pleaded, trying to stop herself to respect Booth's wishes, but failing miserably "Why is your whole body stiff? And why are your eyes bloodshot and puffy?"

Brennan quickly became overwhelmed and violently rubbed at her temples, gritting her teeth and shaking her head "Angela, you're asking too many questions."

"Booth was here sweetie," Angela confessed, the reddened state of her eyes finally reaching Brennan's radar.

"Were you crying?" the anthropologist whispered almost inaudibly, her arms wrapping tight around herself to fend away the cold beginning to rest in her marrow.

"It's a lot more heartbreaking when you see the toughest man you've ever met reduced to tears."

"Do not guilt trip me," Brennan spat, her eyes blazing behind her heated tears.

"You know sweetie," Angela whispered, clasping her friend's face between her hands, fingers working to rid the tears from her alabaster skin "I love you, I really do, and above all I respect your decisions, but I don't like this one."

"Then go ahead," Brennan whispered weakly, her hands rising in the air "tell me how much I've screwed up this time. Tell me how much I hurt him. Tell me all the things that have been stalking my mind since the moment they were uttered."

Angela brought her friend into her arms and hugged her tightly, allowing silent tears to fall onto her shoulder while running her fingers soothingly through her best friend's hair. "Sometimes, hugs work too."

"W-why?" Temperance mumbled, sighing as Angela soothed and comforted her.

"Booth," Angela stated in a bare whisper. "Booth asked me to keep what I know about what happened to myself, and to not pester you on the subject."

"He told you that?"

Brennan's weakened smile broke Angela's heart, and her thumbs once again moved tears from her pale skin.

"I don't know Ange," she quoted, kissing Brennan's cheek "I just hope that, whatever happens, she ends up happy."

"I don't understand," Brennan pleaded, her hands holding tight to Angela's elbows "I don't understand any of this."

"You will," Ange assured, smiling encouragingly despite the sadness she still felt for these two. "I promise you. One day, you will."

"What if I realize something important too late?"

"What exactly do you think you're going to realize sweetie?"

"I…I don't really know."

"When push comes to shove, you'll realize everything in time. Even if you believe it's too late, just know it's never too late."

"I don't know what that means," Brennan whispered, a weak and pitiful smile on her lips.

"It means; you don't need to be here," Angela said, smiling and turning Brennan towards the platform steps.

"I have work to do Ange."

"It can wait," she whispered, holding her friend's hand tight between hers. "I know you and I can tell you haven't eaten at all or slept today."

"I can't sleep Angela," Brennan offered, eyes wide with sadness "I've tried, but every time I close my eyes, I see pain, every single ounce of his pain."

"Sometimes, you just have to deal with that, or pop a few pills to make sleep for you."

A soft chuckle left Brennan's lips, and she weakly allowed Angela to lead her to her car.

"You're going to stay with me, no arguments," Angela ordered, opening the passenger side door and smiling as Brennan slipped into the car without a word in protest.

"Chinese?" Angela asked when she slipped into the car beside her.

"No, not Chinese, not Thai, no diner," she whispered, shaking her head and scratching her cheek thoughtfully "Not yet."

"Homemade?" she offered, trying as hard as she could to help her naïve heartbroken friend.

"As long as you let me help," Brennan agreed, smiling gently.

"Deal."

*****

"Spaghetti sound okay?"

"Sure," Brennan whispered, pulling the collider and a pot from the cabinets.

"Do you have a special secret recipe you want me to use?"

"No," another whisper, barely heard over the water being poured into the large pan.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?"

"I don't care."

"Sweetie, you're killing me."

"I'm sorry," Brennan whispered, her fingers running under her swollen and incredibly sore eyes "I'm just…not myself."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Angela asked, placing the lid on the pan and turning to see Brennan placing the pasta in the cabinets.

"Maybe later Angela, but not right now."

"Let's watch something funny," Angela suggested loudly, grabbing Brennan's arm and pulling her into the living room.

"Okay, but what about the spaghetti?"

"I'll watch the food," Ange said, opening one of her favorite movies and putting it in the DVD player. "And you watch this."

"The Proposal?" Brennan whispered, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

"Yes, it is genius," Angela smiled, turning the living room lights off and throwing a fleece blanket in her direction.

Her nod was weak and she curled in the blanket, sore eyes squinting as the damn romantic comedy folded out.

*****

Brennan sniffled beside her best friend as the movie ended, her voice small when it left her lungs "I said no to protect him."

"You sure you want to talk about this now sweetie?" Ange asked; turning towards her blanket cocooned friend.

"I don't know," Brennan whispered in a tear laden voice "But now will be no less beneficial than later."

"Alright," Angela nodded, reaching out and clasping her hand again "What were you protecting him from"

"Me," she choked "I-I can't lose him, and if we get into something and it doesn't work out…"

"Sometimes you have to take that leap Bren."

"You did with Hodgins," Brennan observed "and you two aren't together anymore."

"Just because we aren't together sweetie doesn't mean nothing is there."

Temperance tilted her head and blinked her eyes tight "What do you mean?"

"Love is crazy," Angela admitted, running her thumb across the back of Brennan's hand "and even though Hodgins and I aren't together, we have so much history, and we were so in love, it's never going to disappear."

"Crazy?"

"Yeah," Angela said; a small sad smile on her face as she nodded and her eyes bore into Brennan's "Straight insanity."

"What all did Booth tell you?" Brennan asked, eyes squinted in paranoia.

"Nothing," she admitted "I knew from the second that first tear dropped down his cheek something happened between you two."

"So no distinct and specific details were shared to you?"

"No," Ange said "Why, what's the significance."

"Insanity," Brennan whispered, wiping her tears away, and shaking her head "Angela, what am I going to do?"

"I don't know sweetie," Angela whispered in return, squeezing her knee in comfort "this is something even I can't help you with."

"But you are open-hearted, I'm not. Please, just, teach me how to be that way," Brennan pleaded "Please."

"Brennan, the people you fight to put in jail are closed hearted, they have no heart; and you sweetie, have one of the biggest hearts a person can have, you just, need to know how to use it."

"How do I use it? I don't understand," she whispered, tears snaking into her lips and bringing a sweet salty taste to flood her mouth.

"You're an anthropologist," Angela said, rubbing her knee again "you study the overall human experience. You're a genius and a professional in the overall human experience, but you don't know how to use your heart?"

Brennan shrugged and shook her head "I…I don't know, I just don't know how…"

"Everyone does," Angela assured, standing up and pulling the blanket away from Brennan "It's almost 3 in the morning sweetie, you should get some sleep."

"I told you earlier I can't sleep."

"Here, take some Benadryl then," Angela said, taking two of the small pink pills and placing them in Brennan's hand.

"I don't like-"

"Ssh," Ange interrupted, handing Brennan's drink over and making her take the two pills before helping her up and moving her down the hall and into the guest room.

"Let your mind wander," Angela said as she gave Brennan one of her night shirts "Think of all the couples you've seen, and of your semi-serious relationships. Think of all the stories that people have said about being in love, and try and find your answer. You're a genius; you just need to use your brain."

"But," Brennan whispered, taking the shirt and running her fingers over it nervously "everyone has told me to follow my heart."

"Start up top," Angela said, touching her friend's head, and moving her finger to point to her heart "and move downwards."

"I don't-"

"Create an experiment that will lead you to conclusions and hypothesizes as to how to 'open your heart'," Angela said, squeezing Brennan's shoulder gently before moving to the door and flicking the light off "remember that people think deeper in their sleep."

"It's almost impossible to produce productive thoughts while sleeping," Temperance stated, standing up and sliding her jeans over her hips.

"Getting into the squinty mood," Angela nodded, smiling and tapping the wall "you're on your way."


	4. A Small Enlightening

**An: Booth is so amazing...:D Especially about lying to himself.**

* * *

Angela yawned as she stumbled through the hallway of her apartment, smiling when she peeked into her guest bedroom and Brennan breathed slowly, her whole body finally relaxed.

A soft knock echoed through the room, and Angela closed Brennan's door gently, running her fingers through her hair and scratching her nose before she peeked through the peep hole and squinted her eyes in interest, opening the door and tilting her head to the side. "Booth? What are you doing here?"

Booth crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged his shoulders truthfully "I…don't really know. I was just, wondering if you've talked to Bones at all since yesterday."

"Um, yeah, actually," Angela said, opening her door wider "come in."

"Is she here?" Booth asked "I drove by her apartment, and she wasn't there, so I assumed she was either here or at the lab."

"She's here," Ange said, closing the door behind him "But she's still asleep, poor sweetie was up all night."

He frowned and walked in, sitting down on her couch and clasping his hands between his legs. "I feel so horrible."

"Why?" she asked, bringing a mug of coffee over to Booth and sitting it on the table in front of him.

"She looked so hurt," Booth whispered, taking the mug and nodding in thanks, sipping gently at the hot, dark liquid, before setting it back down.

"So did you."

"Yes, but you know what I mean Ange," he stated, his eyes boring into Angela's and she nodded slowly, her eyes casting down to her lap.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Angela whispered, interlacing her fingers before her and chewing on her lip. "You know, I still think there is hope for you two."

The corner of Booth's mouth twitched and he shook his head "I don't even know what's going to go on between us now; I just can't wait for her anymore."

"I understand Booth," she nodded, smiling and shrugging her shoulders "This whole situation kind of reminds me of a kid watching water boil, everyone knows it's faster when you find something else to do."

"I can't assume that she's the only one for me," Booth whispered seriously, his voice cutting into Angela's chest "If I do that, there will be no hope for me."

"How long have you assumed that already though Booth?"

"Too long, and it turned out wrong."

"You don't know that."

"Ange?" Brennan asked, opening the guest bedroom door and rubbing her eyes, stopping in the hallway and crossing her arms nervously over her chest "Booth."

"Hey Bones," he hushed, an unconscious love stuck smile reaching his lips.

"I think you two should sit down and talk," Angela said, standing up and walking towards Brennan. "Just talk to him sweetie, no more running."

A deep breath was taken in, and left as a sigh, Brennan's eyes glancing to her feet as she shifted nervously, and moved forward once Angela moved back into her bedroom.

"How are you Bones?" Booth whispered, a sad smile on his lips as he looked at her still tear reddened eyes.

She sat down beside him and brushed her hands down her legs, smiling weakly at him and raising her shoulders to her ears "I'm okay I suppose. How are you?"

Booth rubbed his hands together and he felt sadness rush over him again as her eyes refused to meet his. He turned towards her and brushed his finger under her chin, turning her eyes to his and smiling gently as she shivered at his touch. "We need to talk Bones."

"About what?" she asked, her voice small and ultimately scared.

"About everything," Booth said, his hand dropping to rest just beside her knee "We can't be acting like this anymore."

"Acting like what?"

"Avoiding each other," he whispered, his hand resting on her calf for emphasis and squeezing gently "What happened the other day was romantic personal, but Bones you're still my best friend; and my partner. I'll always love you Bones. You're my one and only Bones."

She smiled and laughed gently, finding herself melting into his charm smile and warm eyes once again. "I don't know what that means."

"Yes you do," Booth grumbled, rubbing her leg gently before bringing his hand back and opening his arms slightly "We're Booth and Bones, America's top crime fighters, we can't let anything ruin that."

"Because we're the center?" Brennan asked; smiling and raising her eye brow like she always did when she asked a playful question.

"Yes," Booth said, gently tapping her chest "and the center must hold."

"I'm still scared Booth," she whispered, looking around before meeting his gaze and digging her teeth into her lip.

"Where that's where another one of our deals come into play," Booth said, standing up and opening his arms again, curling his fingers towards him. "Come on."

"Booth…"

"We promised each other. When you're scared, you hug me. When I'm scared, I hug you," he reasoned, tilting his head and once again curling his fingers.

"I can't hurt you anymore," she murmured, her eyes falling to her lap and her arms coming to rest across her chest.

"Hey," Booth growled playfully, grabbing her wrists gently and pulling her off the couch. "Don't keep thinking like that," he ordered softly, bringing his arms around her and hugging her tightly, her arms wrapping around his back. "Everything is going to be okay."

But no matter how comforting his arms were, and no matter how soothing his voice was, Brennan had a nagging feeling that something that made her cry that much over one day was never going to be okay, but she simply pushed her feelings away and focused more rationally on the subject.

"Hey," Booth whispered against her ear, smiling as she stiffened in his arms. "How about we grab something to eat tonight?"

"Diner?" Brennan asked, smiling against his chest.

"The one and only," he smiled, pulling back and resting his hands on her shoulders "is that okay?"

She nodded and smiled peacefully up at him "Yeah," she whispered, fighting the urge to say 'It's perfect.'

"Are we okay Bones?"

She took in a deep breath and nodded again "Yes Booth, we're okay."

"Alright," Booth said, "Well I have some errands to run, so I'll pick you up at 7?"

"I can meet you there," Brennan offered, smiling as he shook his head and placed his finger up between them.

"No Bones," he interrupted "I'll pick you up at 7."

"Okay, okay," she finally relented, and smiled as he shrugged and squeezed her shoulders.

"Relax today please," Booth said as he stepped back, and grabbed the door knob "I'll call you later today to make sure you are doing so."

"Booth-"

"No arguments," he silenced, smiling and waving before he closed the door "Bye Bones."

"Bye Booth," she whispered, sighing and sitting down on the couch once he was gone, her head falling to her hands.

"So," Ange said, slipping from her room and smiling innocently "What happened."

"Angela, I know full and well your ear was pressed firmly to the door throughout that whole conversation," Brennan stated, smiling to her friend.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Confused as hell."

"Did you think of anything last night?"

"I told you that it's almost impossible to produce productive thoughts while sleeping," she repeated, sitting back and shaking her head. "I still don't know what to do Angela."

"Well you aren't going to figure it out within 8 hours," Angela said sarcastically, smiling and scratching Brennan's back "You'll figure it out, trust me, just, go through your day like normal, you'll figure out everything."

"I'm going to have to take notes on all of your advice," Brennan whispered, her fingers brushing over her lips.

Angela sighed and stood up "I'll get you some paper."


	5. Semi Answers and Fictious Thoughts

**An: Longer chapters for the win!!! But keep in mind people, this covers Saturday and Sunday...Monday brings cases...Cases bring new people...Possibly, or will soon. HIGH SCHOOL REUNION FOR THE ULTIMATE WIN!**

**Getting In Touch will be worked on tomorrow...hopefully xD**

* * *

"Bones," Booth said into his phone, a smile on his lips "What are you doing?"

"I'm in the park," Brennan said, her arms crossed over her chest as the wind whipped at her hair "taking a walk."

"Is it a relaxing walk?" he ventured teasingly, his voice pulling a beautiful laugh from her throat.

"Yes, it's quite relaxing," she stated, smiling as she looked down at her reflection in the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, the beauty of blooming flowers and blossoming cherry trees allowing every confusing and scared thought to leave her mind.

"Heading to the World War 2 memorial?" Booth asked, laughing as a short sigh left her lips and her voice became almost weak.

"How did you know that? Are you following me?"

"Bones, we've gone through this before. I know you, once Spring breaks you love sitting at the World War 2 memorial, especially at night when it's still really warm."

She huffed as she walked around the trail, going under one of the huge towers, marked 'Atlantic,' with a large black eagle facing away from its twin on the other side.

"I also know that you always go there once it's dark to think, you stare at the lit up fountains and you just…think," Booth whispered, biting his lip and shaking his head. _'You're not making this any easier on yourself Seeley.'_

"I'm surprised you're still alive Agent Booth," Brennan said gently "you know too much dangerous information."

"Nice joke Bones," Booth said, laughing and tilting his head into the phone "I think you're finally turning into a human."

"What?" she asked; slightly hurt before she remembered, and nodded "oh you mean because I'm supposed to be a nice alien?"

"Yes Temperance, because you're a nice alien," he assured, smiling and wishing he was sitting beside her, but internally scolded himself_. 'You know you can't do that. Things can be normal, but not completely normal. Completely normal is what made you fall in love with her in the first place.'_

"I'm human because of you," she whispered, a quiet and nervous confession on her part that Booth knew was hard for her to admit.

"Bones…"

"I know, I'm sorry," she said quickly "You know I don't think before I speak, and you must be really busy, just, call me when you're on your way to get me for dinner."

"Bones."

"Bye Booth," she finished, closing her phone, and sighing, staring at her phone before pulling the torn paper from her pocket and looking at the words she scribbled across the lined paper.

_Observe_

_Learn_

_Hypothesize_

_Experiment_

Those four words seemed so familiar and easy to her. She had done countless experiments, and with three dissertations under her belt, you would think something as simple as this would be beyond easy for her, but when she actually thought about what she was using these four words for, she got scared, and confused.

'_Okay, be rational, this is just cultural anthropology 101, observe. Easy,'_ she thought, reaching into her bag and crossing her legs, resting a notebook against her leg and poising a pencil in place.

Her gaze floated around the memorial, and saw multiple couples holding hands, talking, kissing, looking around the carvings on the walls of the memorial, but her gaze fell to one couple in particular.

They were older, in their late 80's if Brennan had to say. The man was looking around sadly, a hat that said "WW2 Veteran" guarding the sun from his sagged face as his wife held tight to his arm, her gnarled hand rubbing his arm tenderly. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear, and pressed her forehead to his temple, and he in turn leant his head against hers and rested his liver spotted hand over hers.

'_Thirty, forty, or fifty years.'_

"I can't do this," Brennan said to herself, folding up her note book and cramming it with her note into her bag, throwing it over her shoulder and wiping her moistened eyes before walking quickly up the ramp, her strides long and quick as she crossed the road and walked into the museum of the Jeffersonian, crossing the garden, and running to her lab sanctuary.

*****

"I thought I told you to relax," Booth said, his hands driven deep in his pockets as he stood at the bottom of the platform, looking up to the woman whose face was cast deep in thought.

"I do find intellectual stimulation relaxing," she brushed off.

"You know Bones," Booth said, "Relax came from the Greek relox which means to chill out."

"Actually it came from the Latin relaxare. 'Re' meaning 'back' and 'laxare' meaning 'loosen' which came from 'laxus' meaning 'loose' which ultimately defined 'to become less tense'," Brennan ranted, her whole body tense despite her words "and I'm fine."

"Temperance," he whispered, his fists leaning against the autopsy table in an attempt to get closer to her, but her hand swatted out and his knuckles left the sterile metal table. "What happened?"

Her jaw ticked and her eyes blazed in annoyance "It's not what happened, it's what's happening."

"Would you like to enlighten me on what exactly is happening Bones?"

"I'm being interrupted," she informed practically, her cold, rational eyes meeting his before returning to the bone resting between her fingers.

"Bones come on. Give the lab a break, besides, I bet you've hardly eaten today," Booth pleaded, walking around the table to her.

"I had granola at Angela's after you left."

"No," he interrupted, lowering her hand's toward the table. "You need to eat."

"Booth, I'm fine-"

"No you're not," he stated, his dark eyes holding pure worry as his hand remained on her wrist "Just…please."

Her chest tightened at his close proximity, and she immediately dropped the bone and stepped away, peeling her gloves off. "Okay," she finally muttered, throwing her the latex away and sliding her lab coat off her shoulders. "Okay."

*****

"Bones, what is going on?" Booth finally asked, leaning back from the table. "What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

"A lot of things, but I'm assuming you don't want a full explanation of neurochemistry," Temperance explained, her eyes once again falling to the piece of salad she again chased around her plate.

"Stop doing that," he growled, leaning forward onto the table and staring dead into her eyes.

"What?" she whispered wide-eyed, leaning back slightly.

"Closing yourself up. Compartmentalizing. Over rationalizing every single thing you see-"

"That's who I am," she interrupted.

"And stop doing that," he returned quietly. "I'm not another skeleton in your lab. You can talk to me Bones, you can confide in me."

"I find that the dead keep secrets longer than the living," she muttered under her breath.

"Here you go darlings," the waitress said happily, placing coffee before both of them with a slice of apple pie for Booth. "Right out of the oven."

"Thanks Susie," they said in unison, and Booth reluctantly backed off.

They sat in silence, and Brennan finally lowered her coffee cup to the table. "Booth, you don't have to worry about me. I swear, I'm fine."

But Booth knew that translated to "I'm confused, and scared, and I need to just be left alone," in English, and he gave up and gave her what she wanted.

"Booth, please don't be mad at me," she pleaded, her finger running nervously along the edge of her coffee cup.

"I'm not Bones," he halfway lied.

"You're lying," Brennan whispered, bringing the cup to her lips.

"I'm not _mad_ at you Bones, I'm…just…not mad."

*****

'_I need someone to really talk to about this,'_ Brennan thought as she curled under the sheet resting at her hip. _'I need someone who knows about all of this to talk to…"_

'_Like Booth…'_

'_An older Booth.'_

*****

Second thoughts ran rampant through her mind as she parked outside Willow River retirement home the next day, asking herself if she should really go in or not.

Eventually though, she found herself walking to the front desk, and looking down upon a younger blonde nurse with an award winning smile. "May I help you?"

"Uh, yes," she said, finally gathering her thoughts. "I'm here to visit Hank Booth."

"Alright, if you'll just sign in," the nurse said, tapping the paper in front of her "I'll take you back to see him."

Temperance nodded and filled a slot out on the paper clipped to the counter, crossing her arms in fear across her chest.

"Alright, come with me."

Brennan followed after her, and felt adrenaline pulse through her as the nurse knocked on his door. "Hank?"

"Yeah?" the familiar voice asked.

"You have a visitor."

"Who is it?" Hank asked, opening the door with a curious look on his brow, which quickly evaporated into joy "Temperance."

"Hi Hank," she whispered, nodding to the nurse before moving into Hank's room.

"How are you sweetheart?" the older Booth asked, wrapping his arms around Brennan in an almost bone crushing hug.

"I'm okay," she lied quietly, her shoulder stiff against the old man's arms. "How are you?"

"A little sad that you would lie to me Temperance," Hank pointed out, leaning back and rubbing her shoulders comfortingly "What happened doll?"

"Many things Hank. Many things I know absolutely nothing about," she admitting, biting her lip and allowing Hank to lead her to the couch under the window.

"Tell me what happened darling," Pops said, resting his hand comfortingly above the top of her knee.

"The story is very long," she warned, her back straight with her hands clasped tight in her lap.

"Does it look like I really have anything to do?" he asked, smiling and rubbing his hand against her leg. "Just tell me Tempe."

*****

"So shrimp wanted to give you two a try? And you said no?"

"I said no," she confirmed, her voice small and tense as she remained triumphant at keeping herself poised and without tears.

"Darling, exactly why did you say no? I know you can't say you don't feel anything for him."

"I don't really know," she whispered "that's one of the many questions I so desperately need answered."

"Well, what did you say to him, when you said no?"

"That I don't know how to change," she whimpered "I don't have his kind of heart. I don't have an open heart…and I…can't."

"So, you would rather have a part of him forever, instead of having all of him and having a possibility of losing him?"

She was still, before she nodded, and closed her eyes in defeat. "And earlier today, I upset him…again."

"What did you do?"

"I was compartmentalized, and cold, like usual and he kept pleading for me to tell what was wrong," she drained out, biting her lip and shaking her head "but I wouldn't."

"What did you see that made you so upset?" Pops asked "because Temperance, you are not cold. You're one of the kindest and gentlest women I know…and I'm not just being charming."

She released a gentle laugh and settled back. "Then if I'm such a warm person, how do I now know how to feel?"

"You can feel," Pops reasoned, reaching out and brushing her settled tears away. "These mean you feel everything, Temperance, and I mean everything."

"Then what is wrong with me?"

"You're scared," Hank answered, rubbing her knee still. "Remember what I told you to do when you two brought me back here?"

"To not be scared?"

"Yup," he whispered with a nod of his head "but you got scared, and pushed him away."

"Do you think that if I wasn't scared, I would have said yes?"

"Would you?"

"What?" she asked, tilting her head quizzically "I just asked you that…"

Pops raised a suggestive eye brow, tilting his head and placing the signature Booth look upon his face that screamed 'Don't be rational'

She gasped gentle and leaned back, shaking her head in some sort of answer. "I don't understand."

"Trust him," Pops finalized, "don't hide from him, but don't expect him to come to you. You need to come halfway."

"Halfway?" she inquired, her eyes holding a small glimmer of hope with that single word.

"That's the key Temperance, halfway."

*****

"_Andy, I don't understand, I don't think the way you do, I don't feel the way you do-"_

"_You aren't heartless," deep chocolate eyes bore into mine. "The murderous bastard that buried you in a sarcophagus had no heart."_

_A shiver ran down my spine and cold sweat erupted from my skin. Spiders; I'm cool with. Snakes and small places; not my thing._

"_Kathy," he muttered, turning me until my blanket cocooned body pressed against him. "You're a compassionate, intelligent, __smokin'__ woman," his voice a growl against my ear. "With a beautiful heart."_

"_How can you find a mass of muscle beautiful?" I asked, unsure of his meaning._

_He growled and nipped my ear, a gentle laugh and a shot to my libido my body's choice of reaction._

"_I don't find your _heart_ beautiful; I find your heart beautiful."_

"_That makes no sense."_

"_Oh cupcake, it makes perfect sense."_

_He placed a kiss to the bruise on my temple, and a dull pain pounded against my skull._

"_Why do you always end up getting hurt?" he inquired, the smug grin on his face bringing feisty Kathy into the light._

"_Why don't you catch the bastards before they try and kill me?"_

"_Touché," he admitted, smiling against my shoulder before tightening his hold around my waist._

"_Beautiful, beautiful heart," his kind voice muttered, while pressing his lips to my neck._

"_Confusing, confusing man," I returned, my lips stretching into a smile, while my body turned and my knees pressed against his hips._

"_I know that look," he said huskily, his hands resting against my face while his thumbs brushed under my eyes._

_My skin sparked and I pressed against his hands to kiss him passionately, and quite suggestively, his body reacting against me accordingly._

"_And you, are slacking on your alpha-male protectiveness," I teased, parting the buttons down his chest, "So you owe me."_

"_I'm happy to repay."_

Brennan sighed and deleted her chapter, closing her computer in frustration. "It's so much easier in fiction…"


	6. I Wished Upon Every Shining Star

**AN: Ah I loved this episode, I really loved it. It was so sweet and the whole time I wanted to give Brennan a hug. I don't understand why people didn't like her. If I knew someone like her, they would be my best friend. xD Fuck if she liked dead things, that's kick ass. I wanted to kick some serious high school reunion bitches ASS. But of course I can't since this is a TV show...but also, in my world that means jack shit.**

**Warning: Spoilers for The Death of the Queen Bee...and drunken steaminess :D**

* * *

Another day, another murder, and another motel room that he wished he shared with her. As he rested on his back while thinking about her reunion tomorrow, he wished their rooms were joined. He wished he could hear her shuffling through the room, and he wished he could hear her settling on her bed, the creak he imagined bringing a sigh to his lips that he imagined she would breathe out before relaxing fully.

Truthfully, he wished he was the one man to settle down beside her every night. He wished he would hold her in his arms and run his fingers through her hair until she fell asleep against his arm.

He wished he could kiss her the second she woke up and stroke his fingers against her smooth skin as her tired eyes fought to stay open.

He wished he could tell her he loved her every day.

And ultimately…he wished she returned it.

*****

This case killed him; it truly, truly killed him.

The whole time he had to be reminded that multiple women sought after him, but he only remained faithfully to her.

The whole time he felt that sense of protection for her, feeling the need to pull her to his chest every time they turned a shady corner.

The whole time he wished they were really married, and he wished he could get over her.

The whole time he wished he could keep his hands away from her, and the whole time, he wished tears didn't come to her eyes when the stars dropped from the ceiling.

The whole time he wished she didn't ask to dance, and the whole time he wished 'The Holy Spirit' kept them apart, but of course, she was brought fully into his arms, his nose resting against her hair and taking in the delirious smell of her hair.

'_Seeley, you are the dumbest man I've ever met. That line was probably the best thing you ever did, and you fucked it up. Now you're suffering…'_

'_Hell, I was suffering before, now it's just worse because she knows, and she still chooses…this isn't her fault. None of this is her fault'_

His arms tightened around her in that moment and he felt her relax further, his eyes closing tight.

'_God Dammit.'_

*****

"Booth?" she asked softly, her hand resting on his arm as the crowd around them at the Founding Fathers disappeared "Are you okay?"

He looked up at her, and nodded slowly, bringing the dark bottle to his lips. "Yeah, Bones, I'm fine."

"You don't look like it Booth," she stated, her mind fuzzy from the multiple beers she had that night. "You look upset."

"I'm fine," he grumbled, downing the rest of the beer and placing it on the counter, nodding to the bartender and taking another.

"Booth, that is your seventh, you should stop, I'll call you a cab," she said.

"No," Booth stated, slugging down the bittersweet drug "I'm…f-fine."

"No you aren't," Brennan argued, pulling her phone out of her purse and calling him a cab as he quickly chugged that last beer and began asking for another one.

"No," she said pleadingly, grabbing his wrist and paying quickly for the beers before pulling him from the bar. "What has gotten into you?"

"Y-" he started, shaking his head "Nothing."

"What were you going to say?" she asked, blinking her eyes drowsily at him and gasping gently at the dark, hard expression of pure passion on his face.

'_You have gotten into me. You're driving me crazy,'_ he so desperately wish he could scream to her, but he shook his head "I…don't know."

"You're drunk," she said, laughing and shaking her head, running her fingers through her hair.

He nodded to the cab "Do you want a lift to your apartment?" he slurred slightly, stumbling to the door and opening it for her.

She smiled and slid into the car, sitting close to him unconsciously and resting her head against the back of the seat, just next to his shoulder.

Booth gave directions and slumped back against the seat, her head coming to rest against his shoulder, her drained body snuggling against him.

"H-hey," he grumbled, his teeth tearing into his lip "Temperance."

"You smell good," she whispered, pressing her nose to his shoulder and taking in a deep breath, her hand coming to rest on his stomach while her breath brushed against his shirt.

"Bones," he groaned, his fingers pressing hard into her hip "Please," he pleaded.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled "I know…I know, it's just, I can't help it," she whispered drunkenly, her nose coming to brush against his neck, her lips only millimeters from his skin.

"Temperance, this isn't going to end well if you don't stop…"

"I know," Brennan whispered, her eyes opening to see the cab driver stopping at her apartment "Good bye Booth," she murmured, leaning forward and kissing his pulse in a single, drunken, lingering kiss, before she gave money to the driver and moved quickly into her apartment.

"Where to sir?" the man asked, Booth sitting in a daze.

"Uh, um, to the liquor store on sixth and north," Booth grumbled.

"You sure that's a good idea dude?" the driver asked, chuckling gently at the man's drunken state before driving forward.

"One of the best damn one's today."


	7. We're Getting Nowhere Fast

**An: Oh god you guys are going to kill me...you're really really going to kill me. You're going to kill me and stab me repeatedly with your hate, but you're not going to really kill me because if you do that I can't make this right :D**

**I can only promise you that the only explict sex scenes I will write will be for Booth and Brennan. If sex between Brennan and Hacker and Booth and this Catherine girl comes into the picture, I will NOT write a full scene for it...I would shoot myself.**

**I will only write the hot wild BB sex :D**

* * *

She awoke that morning and hid herself under her blankets, her head pounding as the sun went unrelenting, breaking through her curtains and falling right over her face.

Eventually though, she listened to the sun's taunting, and rolled from her bed, walking into her bathroom and taking in her disheveled appearance, wondering to herself how Booth looked that morning with the large quantity of beer he drank last night.

"Booth," she whispered, her eyes flying open as she remembered what she did to him in the cab, her hand coming to rest on her pounding forehead.

She kissed him. It was only once, it was because she was drunk, and it was only to his neck, but it was still her lips on him, and she knew that drove him crazy, and in this situation, that's the one thing he didn't need.

She was hurting him, and she finally realized that she can't pull and tug him around like a dog with a pathetic toy. She either had to go for it, or let it go.

'_Go for it, or let it go…'_

She leaned forward and stared at herself in the mirror, biting her lip as rationale left her throat, and her voice was a painful whisper to her own ears.

"Your first answer is the answer you should go with. Second guesses causes problems and unwanted conflicts. You're killing him, slowly and painfully. He wants to move on…needs to move on, and you're just being a selfish bitch if you keep him from doing what he needs."

Her words were weak and her arms shook as she tried holding herself up with the counter top, a single, painful tear falling to the marble.

"He needs to move on; and you have to let go."

*****

"Good lord," Booth growled as he looked at his reflection, running his hand over his face, and pressing his knuckle to his lips as nausea ran over him and he grew dizzy, the extra shots of scotch last night coming back to kick his ass.

He shook it off and reached into his medicine cabinet, pulling the aspirin out and popping two of the pills, swallowing them quickly with a glass of water and pushing the knot in his throat back down into his stomach.

He slunk back into his bedroom and closed his curtains, falling onto his bed and hiding under his blankets, burying his face in his pillow as he willed his pounding headache to go away.

'_What are you doing Booth? You can't keep doing this. You're supposed to be moving on, and this…getting drunk, practically fucking snuggling with her during the cab ride to her house, and allowing her to go so far as to kiss your neck? That isn't moving on. And kissing you wasn't her fault. That was yours. You didn't push her away, because in your drunken ass state of mind you wanted her to do that. You still want her to do that, and now you know she's thinking about it and regretting it…regretting it. She's regretting you…being with her. Sure it wouldn't seem huge to anyone else, but to you…oh you know how fucking big that was. You know that it had to take a large amount of liquid courage for her to muster up enough strength to do that. That single action was her putting herself on the line for you. Not all of herself, but she's testing boundaries; and you're allowing her. You know though that soon enough she's going to test enough and realize she doesn't want you. You have to move on. Move on for your sake and hers man…especially hers.'_

He sighed as these thoughts ran through his head, and his fingers pressed hard into his skull to alleviate some of the pressure while the pills inside him still worked to rid him of all the physical pain running through his body.

He needed to move on, that much was certain.

What wasn't certain anymore was…why?

Was he doing it for his own selfish gain? Guarding his heart like she had done for so many years?

Or was he moving on because of her? To save her, from the fear, and the tears, and all of the complications a risky relationship with him would produce.

But as he closed his eyes and his emotionally battered body threatened to fall into sleep again, he prayed to God that he was moving on for his own selfish reasons.

If not…he was getting nowhere…fast.

*****

A soft knock filled his office, and he sat back curiously, unsure of who would be bothering him at the middle of the day. "Come in."

Brennan smiled as she opened the door, completely put together and showing no signs of a hangover, her hands coming to intertwine and fall before her "Hi Andrew."

"Temperance," Hacker said with a smile, standing up and walking over to her, holding her arms gently and kissing her cheek hello. "I'm surprised. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was trying to get a hold of Booth, and I was wondering if you heard from him," she asked, tilting her head at the quick flash of dissatisfaction that crossed his eyes.

"Yeah, he called in today and said he was taking a sick day. Told me he had a killer head ache."

"That explains why his phone was turned off," she said to herself, nodding to Hacker's desk "are you busy?"

He tilted his head, and a gentle smile tugged at his lips. "Not really, just a couple papers to sign off on. Why?"

"Well, since Booth is sick, I'm free for lunch, and I was wondering if you'd like to go to Founding Fathers with me," Brennan offered, a flirtatious smile on her lips as Hacker's eyes gleamed in a combination of happiness and pride.

"I'd love to," Andrew quickly accepted, reaching over and grabbing his office keys, ushering her through the door, and locking his office behind them.

She smiled, and they talked, constantly going back and forth with uplifting conversation and gentle laughs all the way to her car and to the restaurant. They bickered on food options and their health benefits, and she was finally able to weasel out the story of his Stratocaster, but when her gaze turned out the window, and she saw Booth's alcohol torn form, her heart sank.

His eyes were deep; apathetic; like he didn't know how to feel, his hand coming and flicking in a small wave as his lip twitched gently.

She raised her hand and waved softly, smiling pitifully before looking to the oncoming waitress with their order.

"Are you alright Temperance?" Andrew asked softly, reaching across the table and touching her hand.

She looked at him and smiled; a smile that fooled him, but wouldn't have fooled Booth. "I'm fine," she lied cleanly, feeling slightly triumphant as he accepted her answer and leaned back against his chair.

But in reality, she wasn't fine, because when she stared into Booth's dark, emotionless eyes; the same warm eyes that seemed to comfort her every time something was wrong, and the same warm eyes that brought her from her darkest of nightmares in the middle of the night; she couldn't help but feel like she had cheated on him.


	8. We Kiss In Our Dreams

**An: THought I would post one more chapter before the new episode tomorrow...ugh...fish woman. XD Drunken steaminess AGAIN, and It makes me smile. Uhhh I'm hiding from my dad because I was supposed to be asleep an hour ago, but I'm watching Bones...and...The song at the begining of the second section is called When She Finds Out by A Bird A Sparrow...they're amazing, check it out.**

**Also, please read and review my new chapter of Getting In Touch!**

* * *

'_What was she doing with that bastard? Well…shit Seeley, you know what she was doing. She was having lunch with him. She was moving on. She was done with "us". But, there was no "us". Just a glimmer of "us", but that glimmer was done…wasn't that what I wanted though? Didn't I want us to move on? To forget everything we __could__ be? What the hell, who am I kidding? I'll never forget, I just have to do my best to try."_

*****

'_But the truth is that you can't see the hurt in her eyes every time she sees you leave.'_

She watched his tattered form walk away, and her hands gave a miniscule shake. Her eyes paled and she shoved her teeth deep into her lip, easily stopping the gentle quiver.

"Temperance," Andrew asked again, leaning forward slightly, and frowning when she sat back. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, we've just been sitting here," she rationalized, wringing her hands in her lap in thought.

"I don't mean right now, I mean with Booth," he whispered, his eyes holding a large amount of worry and care for her that slightly warmed her heart. "What did he do to you?"

The warmth turned to freezing ice, and her eyes widened. She shook her head and sat rigid, speaking quickly "What? He didn't do anything to me."

"He obviously did something to you Tempe. You see him and you're almost reduced to tears. Please, what happened?"

"Andrew," she breathed on a sigh "a while ago Booth told me that whatever goes on between us is ours, and no one else's. I'm sorry but, you don't need to know what happened."

"Can I at least know what exactly is 'between' you two?"

"He's my partner, and my best friend," she explained "like he's been for the past 4 years."

"Just your partner…nothing more?"

"Only for a second," she whispered, eyes trained only on the food before her and not the confused man staring intently at her face and willing her to explain

*****

"Dr. B?" Hodgins called, walking quickly to her side with two viles in his hand "I have pollen and minerals from your skeleton which do you want first?"

"Pollen please," she answered nonchalantly, moving onto the platform quickly.

"Dr. Brennan," Wendell in turn asked "I found evidence of stabbing on the C3 and 4. Considering the time range do you want special tests preformed?"

"Micro-fluorescence," she said, her eyes trained on the screen before turning to look at her intern "look for evidence of possible shattering, and if you find any particulates hand them over to Hodgins immediately."

"Dr. Brennan!" Cam called from her office "Archeology called and they need you to look at a bone fragment they have."

Brennan released a deep, overworked sigh, and moved quickly from the platform, her hands coming into the pockets at the front of her lab coat as she walked to the elevator and hit the 'up' button.

"Bren!" Angela yelled, slipping into the elevator before the doors closed "Where's stud muffin?"

"Who?"

"Booth, sweetie. I already got from you twice, that you think he's hot, so don't pretended you don't think so now."

"I don't understand why you need to know where Booth is, he isn't needed here today."

"Sweetie, it's Saturday," Angela whispered, stepping with her best friend into the hall "Even though he doesn't _need_ to be here he always is. Saturday is your guy's paperwork day."

"Andrew said Booth called in sick," Brennan pushed off "and I saw him horribly hung over when I went out with Hacker," she finished, almost growling when Angela grabbed her hand and whirled her around.

"You went out with Hacker?"

"Yes, I did. Booth is sick, I was free, and he was free. It's simple math."

"The whole point of trying to examine your feelings for one person is to stay away from others..."

"I'm done 'examining'. It's causing nothing but problems," she growled, opening the door to archeology and turning on Angela "I appreciate everything you did for me, but this is useless. I don't know what I'm doing, and I doubt I ever will," she finished, closing the door and walking into a large room decorated with ancient artifacts.

Angela smiled and nodded, crossing her arms over her chest in triumph "Dropping the brain, following the heart. You're on your way Temperance Brennan."

*****

A soft knock rocked through his apartment that night, and he knew exactly who would be outside his door at one in the morning.

"Bones," he grumbled, trying to wipe away the settled tears of anger trailed down his face, but his hand had to shoot out and stabilize himself against the threshold.

She sighed and held tight to his arms, walking him back to sit on his couch.

He reached for the bottle of scotch on the table drunkenly, but Brennan quickly snatched up the bottle and took it into his kitchen.

"W-wha-at are y-you doing?"

She ignored him and dumped out the rest of the dark liquid, throwing the bottle away and searching for any other bottles of alcohol in his apartment.

"Bones!?" he slurred violently, shooting up and stumbling after her "S-stop!"

"No!" she snapped at him, her eyes blazing as she dumped out the last of his beer and threw the bottle so hard into the trash the dark glass shattered.

"Why the hell are you pissed?" Booth asked, stumbling back and almost fully toppling over.

Brenan's hand shot out and latched onto his arm, once again moving him to his couch and resting her hands on his cheeks, holding his attention.

"No more alcohol," she whispered quietly, her thumbs brushing away the trails under his eyes "No more tears."

His eyes opened and his face became cast in a sense of awe. He brought his hand up and touched her cheek, heat radiating quickly through his chest as his rough, burdened fingers brushed across her ivory skin.

"Bones," he murmured, brushing her hair away from her face. "You're…so…gorgeous."

"Booth," she whispered shakily, her palms lifting from his face.

"Kiss me," he pleaded, wrapping his other hand around her cheek.

"Booth no," she said roughly, her hands covering his and bringing them away from her.

"Bones please, we're killing each other," he whimpered, his hands falling to clamp on her hips.

"It would only get worse," she stated, pushing at his chest "I…we can't."

She broke from his grasp and he shakily stood up, stumbling against her slightly and bringing his hands to rest on her shoulders.

"You want to," he slurred, reaching out and touching under her eye. "I can see it in your eyes. You want to, so why are you pushing me away?"

"Because you're drunk! And you'll regret this in the morning. You want to move on…and this isn't moving on."

He stood silently, his mouth gaping open slightly as he kept his hands on her shoulders, shaking gently against her.

"What I want doesn't matter," she whispered, breathless from the pure need sitting heavy against her stomach. "What I feel doesn't matter."

"Bones, that means everything, what you feel, what you want, what you need…that means everything. Absolutely everything to me."

"No, we can't do this. Please, just…take a shower, go to bed…take care of yourself. I-I have to go," Brennan finished, eyes glazed over with hunger as she stepped back and made sure he was stable on his feet before moving out his door.

She moved as fast as she could, and by the time he reached his front door she was nowhere to be seen. The sigh that left his lips was heartbroken, and utterly defeated, and his head hit the threshold with a thunk as he fell against the wall. He eventually moved away and shook the dull thud against his skull, stumbling into his bedroom and falling against his mattress, falling into a fitful sleep with dreams of his partner he could only pray would come true.


	9. Never More

**An: So this is my tag for The Predator In The Pool, and it's short, but it's here, it has the essence I'm looking for, so that's all I care about.**

**Remember to review this story and my new chapter of Getting In Touch**

**And for some people who have 'complaints' about where the story is going. This story is clearly marked 'angst' and it's supposed to go along with the rest of the season until the end when I start going into my own mind. Please keep that in mind when you read this. I hope this doesn't turn you away, but it's the truth, and this is how the other multiple chapters are going to be until the end of the season. :D**

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_Quickly moving chests, hot frantic breaths, dancing across sweat glistening bodies tightly pressed together in an act of almost Holy Communion. Her hands were weak and shaky against the raised muscle of his stomach, but his arms remained strong, holding her safe in his grasp as she scaled down from her high._

_She held onto him like he himself held her ability to live, and if she lifted a hand from him, her life would be cut short._

"_Temperance," he whispered her name with a post coital passion that shot electricity through her core._

"_Hmm?" she murmured, turning her head against his pillow to look up at him with her exhaustion-clouded blue eyes._

_He chuckled and moved forward to further envelope her in her arms and place a kiss under her eye._

"_Sleep," he ordered gently, providing his chest as a cradle for her head while his fingers worked through her hair, a smile breaking across his lips as her eyes closed…_and his own opened_._

*****

A soft groan broke his lips when he was finally roused from the dream, and a heavy pain rested in his chest when his hand only slid up cold sheets, and not sex warmed skin.

God he had to get his mind off her…he needed to move away from her grasp, and stop holding onto her as tightly as he had been…he needed someone else.

*****

And God somehow granted his wish that week. He met Catherine, a marine biologist that helped on the call about a washed up tiger shark, which just happened to have a human leg in its system. She was beautiful, with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes that easily reminded him of the bright blue eyes he had stared into for so many years.

But she wasn't Brennan, and even though she was a suspect, he could wait…he would wait, for any sort of connection not connected to…her…

*****

He had fun, and by the way she was smiling she did too, but it still slightly hurt to see her having so much fun with another man. He remembered what he asked of her a few days ago, and the words he uttered earlier still rocked through his brain, but he was glad she was happy.

He was glad she could handle this.

Because he was still trying to get his hold.

Yes, he was going out with Catherine again, but he still didn't feel right. He hoped that would change the more time he spent with her, but deep down, her knew it wouldn't…because…well…she's the standard. His standard. She's perfect, in every way, and no one could come close to her.

But like Avalon said, sometimes you just have to settle for second best.

*****

She could tell he had fun, and she could tell he liked her, by the way that sly smile stretched across his face. She had seen that smile many times before, she knew the meaning, and she couldn't stop the feeling of jealously slamming into her sternum.

But Hacker quickly coming to her defense against this new scientist brought a smile to her face, and she relaxed easily. She would smile at him, and bat her eyes, but in her mind Hacker was no Booth. But that didn't really matter anymore. They were moving on. Just friends.

Nothing more.

Never more.

*****

She was on edge that week, horribly on edge, everything she read from Hacker seemed to translate into sex and she easily enlisted help with Angela.

She didn't want to have sex with Hacker; she was too discombobulated and didn't want to hurt any more people on this way to emotional recovery. So she took it slow…no to the play, yes to the coffee, and it all seemed to be clearing in her eyes…before they started comparing dates.

Catherine was easily as pretty as she was if not prettier, but wasn't as smart; though to her that wasn't positive, since she found her intelligence a problem a lot of the time. It was when he whispered 'You're the standard, Bones,' when everything started clouding again, but a smile broke across her face.

She didn't necessarily know what that meant, but knew it meant something to him, so she accepted it, and spoke her own truth. No, Hacker was not as handsome as him, and even though he had a few more inches of height on Booth, there was still that…essence, that was missing.

But, if she was his standard, and he was hers, you can't necessarily complain.

If you can't have the real thing, you have to learn to settle for second best.


	10. Always The Gambler

**An: Shit guys we have a problem...I'm really fucking hot XD and CAN NOT FOR THE LIFE OF MY GET COOLED OFFFFFFFF. Damn. So yeah. Enjoy this, going to try and finish the new chapters of Getting In Touch and The Protector.**

* * *

She hated the feeling that was coursing through her chest, the feeling of loneliness, and abandonment. She seemed to find herself more and more in the lab, and less and less with him, but that wasn't because she was ignoring him, or pushing him away. It was because he was spending more time with Catherine, which left her alone in the lab, into most of the night.

She would sit at her desk and watch as the lights went out in the lab, and even the security guards left in an agonized slump, only to be replaced with new ones that looked less than happy to have to walk around a museum all night long. She would glance at the clock and think about where he was, and if he was with her, holding her, kissing her, showing her this art of 'making love' that she never got to understand.

But if she thought about it too much, a sick feeling would settle in her throat, and she would force herself to focus on something else. So she would move around the lab for hours, organizing, analyzing, and doing anything she could keep her mind off the one person she wanted to sit with on her couch at 1 in the morning.

She would work until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, before she finally relented and grabbed her things from her office, stumbling into the parking garage, and piling into her car, glad that the roads were clear at 3 in the morning.

She stumbled into her apartment, and placed her laptop case on her kitchen table, walking into her bedroom and stripping down to her bra and panties, slipping under her comforter and curling against the cold sheets.

She closed her eyes and shook against the warming fabric, her hand resting on her bare shoulder, her sense of loneliness increasing, and pulsing in her chest as she once again fell asleep alone.

*****

"Geez Bones," Booth muttered when he walked into her office that Saturday morning "You look awful."

"Wow, thanks Booth," she whispered tiredly, rubbing under her darkened eyes and blinking back tears of exhaustion to focus on the words printed before her.

"When did you go to bed last night?" he inquired, sitting beside her, like normal, shoulder to shoulder, his knee bumping gently against hers as he waited for his answer.

"Left here at 3, went to bed by 3:30, was back here 3 hours later," she explained, quickly signing her name off, and turning the papers over.

"You only got 3 hours of sleep?" Booth asked aghast "Shit Bones, you can't be doing that. Come on, you're going home."

"No…No I am not," Brennan resisted, using the back of her hand to cover her mouth as she yawned, and then used her knuckles to brush away the tears that slipped involuntarily from her eyes.

"Yes, you are," he growled, stealing the papers from her hand and ignoring her death threatening glare. He flipped the folder closed and threw it on her table, his hands resting on her arms and lifting her from her seat on her couch. "You need sleep Bones. You look like you're about to pass out anyway."

"I am nowhere close to passing out. I feel only slight exhaustion, no dehydration or hunger," she explained, weakly trying to fight him off.

"Yeah, not yet," he grumbled "Which reminds me, when is the last time you ate?"

"I don't know," Brennan whined, pushing herself away from her arms and resting her hand on her forehead "Besides it doesn't matter. I can take care of myself and I don't need you here to baby sit me."

"Well, obviously you do, since you refuse to sleep or eat until all the work is done, well Temperance, you aren't going to finish everything this institution needs you to do in one night, and you slowly killing yourself, isn't going to help you finish any of the work faster. Now I suggest you kindly walk to the SUV, where you will get in, and I will drive you home, or I will be forced to publicly sling you over my shoulder, and carry you out of here."

"I hope you realize that if I had enough energy I would chew you up for your assumption that you have any sort of authority in my life," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest before she turned and stalked towards the doors.

"Out…Bones, its chew you out…"

"Either way it wouldn't end well for you, which would be perfectly fine with me."

"Oh, now you're just being moody, I know for a fact that if I got hurt, you would be upset, and not jumping for joy as you always claim you would in the situation," he ventured, opening the door for her, and leaning closer towards her when she pulled herself into the seat, and glared down at him.

"I would only be upset if someone else hurt you. If I hurt you it would be for good reason and I would be perfectly fine with it," she brushed off, sitting back and staring out of the windshield.

Booth rolled his eyes and chuckled, closing the door beside her and climbing into the driver's seat, throwing the SUV in drive, and moving forward, the 10 minute ride to her apartment, enough to calm her, and lull her into sleep.

*****

'_Just wake her up, if you actually carry her to bed you're going to be taking 15 steps back when you took 14 forward, and you'll be right back at square one.'_

'_But hell, she hardly slept last night, and you have a key, it would only take you 2 minutes to get her upstairs and into bed…'_

'_Her bed,'_ he quickly rephrased internally, finally deciding on letting his partner sleep, and reaching over to quietly moving her seat belt away from her body.

He climbed from his truck and walked around the black beast, opening her door and hooking his arms under knees and around her back, pulling her away from her seat and into his chest.

She immediately curled into him, and her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing herself to snuggle against him, and bringing himself to repeat certain curses over and over again in his head.

He shook it off and used his back to close the doors of the Suburban before walking to the steps of her apartment, and walking through the lobby.

He called an elevator and when inside chose the appropriate floor, bringing himself to look at her sleeping face for the 30 second elevator ride.

'_God…she is so insanely beautiful, especially when she's asleep. I've never really gotten to see her asleep for this long, I only saw her sleeping for about 5 seconds when we were solving the case about her mother before she sat up from her couch and declared she was awake'_

Booth stepped from the elevator and walked down the hall, juggling his keys in his hand and grunting as he balanced her in his arms and opened her apartment door, walking inside and throwing his keys on the table beside her door.

She shifted in his grasp as he walked further back into her room, a territory he had never encountered before, and his heart rate slightly elevated at the thought.

"Booth?" she asked tiredly, tightening her arms around him and pressing herself further against his chest.

"Yeah Bones?" he asked quietly, pushing open her bedroom door, and taking that first step inside.

"Where am I?"

"You're at your apartment," he whispered, setting her down in the middle of her bed, and walking over to pull the curtains across the large window.

"I'm tired," she mumbled, turning on her side and curling against her pillow.

"I know you are," Booth returned with a smile, resting his hand on her shoulder gently "But you might not want to fall asleep in jeans."

"They're just jeans," she argued sleepily, her words becoming less and less coherent.

"They aren't comfortable," he assured.

"Then take them off."

"I don't think it would be right to take advantage of you when you're half asleep Bones," Booth joked, smiling and squeezing her shoulder when a smile turned at her lips and a weak chuckle vibrated in her throat.

"Go to work," she ordered, bringing her covers over her before sliding her jeans over her legs and kicking them to the floor. "Rat bastard."

Booth chuckled and grabbed her phone from out of her jean pocket, turning the ringer on silent, and placing it on her bedside table. "Call me when you wake up, okay?"

"Alright," she whispered; a large smile on her face as she held her pillow to her chest and his hand continued rubbing her shoulder. "Night Booth," she spoke barely audible, unable to keep herself in the waking world, and fell asleep instantly.

"Night Bones," he whispered in return, stilling his hand and leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her temple, before he stood up, and quickly walked from her apartment.

'_Ah Seeley…always the gambler.'_


	11. Who Knew Normal Could Hurt So Much

**An: DOG SQUIRREL CHASING A SQUIRREL XD**

**CTFxC = Love!!**

* * *

Brennan woke up hours later, and felt completely rejuvenated and relaxed. She sighed happily and rolled onto her side, hugging her pillow tight to her chest while resting peacefully, glancing up at her phone, and seeing her screen flash repeatedly.

She lazily grabbed the machine and flipped it open, her eyes opening wide at the overwhelming number of messages and missed calls from Hacker. She read through them all, and listened to her voice mails, all of them wanting to know where she was because he wanted to go out to lunch with her again.

She sighed, and rolled onto her back, bringing both of her hands around her phone and to text Hacker back, telling him she was ordered to return home and sleep, and that she was sorry for missing lunch with him, before sending it and immediately dialing Booth's number.

The ringer rang only twice before he picked up on the other line. "Booth."

"I'm awake," Brennan stated sweetly, smiling and resting her arms behind her head as she stretched her legs.

"Ah, I can tell," he said, smiling on the other line. "You are a LOT less grumpy."

"Hey, you were the one who always gets in my way when I'm tired. You can't blame me when I take it out on you."

"Yes I can! If I can't blame you then it looks like straight abuse," he exclaimed, slapping the flap of his folder down in emphasis.

"It isn't abuse. A woman can't 'abuse' a man…"

"Ever read Great Expectations?"

"I'm impressed Booth, you read Great Expectations?" Brennan asked; a large smile on her lips.

"Yes, I had to do a 5 page report on it in high school," Booth stated proudly "I even got a good grade on it and didn't pay a nerd to do it."

"Good, maybe that was the turning point. That one good grade on Great Expectations brought you into a moralized college experience, which led you to the army, which led you to the FBI, which led you to me, which led you to being my slave, and bringing me food after you force me to sleep," she rambled on, smiling and laughing.

"Jesus you're needy," he grumbled teasingly "What are you hungry for?"

"Chinese?" she asked quietly, smiling and running her fingers over her growling stomach.

"Vegetable Lo Mein?"

"You know me so well," Brennan whispered, smiling and chewing on her lip. "Have you eaten today?"

"No, I was waiting for you to wake up before I ate," Booth explained, standing up, and walking out of his office.

"Alright," she murmured quietly, "I'll see you when you get here."

"Alright Bones."

"Hey Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Well I can't let you just shrivel away to nothing," he whispered, hitting the number 1 in the elevator. "Life wouldn't be interesting if not for Temperance Brennan."

"It probably wouldn't be as complicated either," Brennan hushed under her breath.

"What?"

"Um, nothing," she answered defiantly, her voice holding that gentle quiver that Booth picked up on immediately. "I'll just…see you when you get here."

*****

"Bones?" Booth called as he opened her apartment door, sticking his head in, and finding her apartment unmoving.

"Bones?" he called again, setting the take out on her counter and walking down the hall way, peeking into her room and finding her asleep once again, smiling at her relaxed face, before stepping into her room.

"Bones," he whispered, walking over to her and sitting on the edge of her bed, his hand resting on her side, shaking her gently "Bones wake up."

Her hand rested on his wrist and slid up his hand, whimpering softly "Hm?"

"Bones," he laughed, shaking her again "wake up, I have food."

She held onto his elbow and moved against him "but I'm tired."

"Come on Bones, come eat and you can go back to sleep," he whispered, shivering gently as he found his hand resting against her side, and his thumb brushed against her stomach.

She shivered along with him and opened her eyes, smiling up at him and stretching "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's alright," Booth murmured in return, smiling and looking at his hand resting at her stomach, quickly pulling it back with a gentle blush heating his skin.

Brennan blushed in turn and sat up, backing away from him and glancing to her bedroom door.

Booth caught the flicker in her eyes and nodded, smiling and standing "I'll grab plates and chop sticks, what would you like to drink?"

"Beer, please," she said, smiling at him "Thank you."

"No problem Bones."

She watched him leave, and when her door closed she stood, walking into her closet and pulling on a loose pair of sweat pants. She rolled them away from her ankles and walked into her bathroom, quickly pulling her sleep strewn hair up and running her hands over her face in a small attempt to look presentable.

She walked out and saw all the food set out on her coffee table, his coat shed on the back of the couch, and his hands clasped together between his legs as he waited for her, and looked hungrily at the food in front of him.

"You know you're allowed to eat before I get there," Brennan explained, smiling and sitting down beside him.

"You know you don't have to pull up your bed head for me," Booth pointed out, smiling, and bumping her knee with hers.

She blushed and scratched her cheek, shaking her head and handing him his plate of food "Eat," she ordered "You're the one that has to go back to work anyway."

"Wow, I'm surprised. You aren't going to be running back to the lab once I leave?"

"No, I'm still tired, and I don't want you to have to force me out again," Brennan mumbled, easily grasping the noodles between her chop sticks and bringing it to her mouth, looking over at Booth, and smiling, chuckling for no reason and getting sauce on her cheek.

He looked at her and rolled his eyes, laughing and reaching up, brushing the sauce away with his thumb before using his chop sticks to bring the shrimp into his mouth.

They sat, smiling at nothing, in silence, eating their food together pressed shoulder to hip, wondering how through all of this, they got back to 'normal', and why inside…it hurt so much.


	12. Hollow

****

**An: Pff, you guys know me, so you KNOW what this. ;) Love my girl Brennan and I'm pumped for the Hodgelaness next episode.**

**And here is the ultimate test...if you can tell me what these lyrics are from, you are AMAZING!**

**-"We must rebalance this departments programs in order to institutionalize and fianance our capabilities.  
-"Yeah, forget about the jets, use the super soakers, get Al Queda wet."**

-"Oh yeah, Michigan thought we was playing some football Lions' stadium; they played like the Lions Throwin interceptions in the first down Watchin us dunk on their ass Goin home cryin."**  
**

* * *

She didn't hear from him, or speak to him that Sunday, and she automatically assumed he was with Catherine. And while in her own remorse, she agreed to have lunch with Hacker. They talked, and joked, and smiled, and laughed, but to her it was hollow. He gave her a CD that had some of his favorite music downloaded onto it before they departed, and she smiled, glad that she had something to occupy herself with, and kissed his cheek in thanks.

She returned to her apartment, and sat on her couch, listening to the music, and finding that she quite enjoyed it, except for some band called Led Zeppelin. She had been offered tickets to their tour in 2007 by her publisher, but sighed in relief that she didn't go. Her ear couldn't wrap around the melody and tunes, and she eventually turned the music off and placed some of her own in the Bose System.

The music was calming and tranquil, originating from the Taoism religion of ancient China, and she felt her muscles finally relax, and her worries slip away. She settled on her couch with her laptop on her coffee table, but as a cool breeze floated through her open window, she fell asleep, and her worries came crashing back in her unconscious mind.

_She was in the back room, looking through the taunting glass that glared into the interrogation room. Booth was standing at the granite topped table, leaning on his finger tips towards the other occupant, Catherine._

_She was wearing a deep blue that accented her eyes, and her smile was sly, but what really bothered her, was that his was too._

_She stood, and he straightened, Brennan's arms crossing her chest tighter as she found that Catherine's dress was too short for comfort, and her heels too…suggestive._

_But once that thought crossed her mind, she reached across the table, and circled the blue tie around her hand, practically pulling him over the table, and crushing her lips to his._

_Brennan's blue eyes widened, and she practically felt the color drain from them, her teeth digging a deep mark into her lip as his hands circled her hips and pressed her back against the edge of the interrogation room._

_Her quick fingers slid his jacket from his shoulders, and her arms circled his neck tight, arching from the wall as his lips moved to her neck, and she glared across the room to the 'mirror' on the other side. She smirked, and glared into her reflection, but knew exactly who she was looking at, and that taunting glare ripped through Brennan's heart, _and sent her shooting up from the couch.

It was almost 1 in the morning when she glanced at the clock on her stove, and the Taoist music was on a vicious repeat. She was freezing as the night air acted as her 'blanket' and she shivered fiercely as she stood up and closed her window, walking to the Bose and turning it off before stumbling back into her bedroom.

She pulled her comforters against her, and blocked the cold from her body, quickly warming up, but failing at relieving the cold that settled against her stomach the instance her faded blue eyes, met with passion darkened ones.

She almost froze when she saw his tie that Monday, the color the exact same color as the one he had on in the hellish nightmare that settled upon her that morning. She was petrified, but then extremely curious, and asked about the tie on the way to the crime scene.

It, as she assumed, was from Catherine, and from then she seemed to want to talk about Catherine any time she got. She wanted to know about them, no matter how much it hurt, but she was curious, and curiosity killed the cow right? Or was it a cat?

But when they sat in the Founding Father's talking, she felt like she did last night…shivering and cold.

She brought up Catherine once again, and internally gave herself the title 'Masochist', but when she looked into his eyes, she could have sworn she saw uncertainty, but she was never good with reading people.

"You know our partnership is so important to me," she whispered, her throat closing as she felt her spine quivering at the cold under her skin that didn't seem to go away, her held tilting as she finished her whispered "You know that right?"

"Sure, like 'I'd die for you' partnership, that's how I think of it," he returned, and he saw her eyes widen slightly and glaze over. He fought himself to ask her what was wrong, but knew she was fighting some sort of internal fight that he would never know about, so he ran his fingers along the damped beer label before bringing the dark bottle to his lips.

She felt herself shut down, and reverted back to music, telling him about Hacker's 'mix tape' he so called it, and told him of the one band she didn't like, which of course, he did like.

They bickered back and forth, and he gaze her that look of amused disbelief that always made her smile, but her smiles felt fake to her…her smiles felt hollow.

Like everything else in her seemed to feel hollow, even though Temperance Brennan was never one for metaphor.

That night, when she rested in her bed, staring at her ceiling as if it would provide any sort of answer or comment, she chewed on her lip and turned to her side, smiling as she remembered their 'rock out session' 4 years ago, and their latest Foreigner extravaganza.

The amazement in his eyes was evident when she slid the guitar strap over her shoulders, and she hesitantly stood and walked to her closet, opening the door and turning on the light. She stepped into her walk-in closet, and glanced to the back, pulling a large black case from the depths of her clothes.

Stepping out of her closet and setting the case on the ground, she pulled out the acoustic guitar she kept when she was unsuccessful at finding accurately built instruments she learned to play when she was in other countries.

She sat on her bed and held the cold instrument against her, her fingers running against the strings, and making a gentle scratching sound that she found beautiful to her ears. Angela told her that players always used special picks, but she truthfully preferred her fingers when she played an acoustic guitar. The sound was so gentle, but strong. Truthfully, the sound made her think of Booth; strong and influential, but with the gentlest of hearts.

She sighed and placed her fingers on the frets, picking at the strings and pulling from the guitar an enchanting, but sad song that spoke for itself.


	13. Danger Danger

**An: Bahaha, here is the next installment, ANGST alert FTW xD For me at least, you guys maybe not.**

**And, no one got the lyrics, because they're from Autotune The News, the very first video ;) look them up on youtube, they're AMAZING. Sarah and Michael Gregory FTW! Michael is so adorable, and Sarah has the most amazing voice I've EVER Heard. :)**

* * *

She didn't know why she was out here, sitting at the World War II memorial on her lunch break, in the rain, instead of actually eating. All she knew was that she felt…out of body, in a way. She felt like her body just rested there, and in some irrational happenstance, the 'soul' that many talk about, walked freely. She didn't feel like herself as the rain soaked to her skin. She felt empty, confused, and ultimately alone.

Like she did all those years ago when she watched her brother shake his head and leave in his old, beat-up, red car.

A shiver ran violently down her spine and somehow evoked tears from her eyes, the hot drops cooling immediately as they slid against her hypothermic skin.

She didn't know, but her skin had taken on a paled blue tint, and her body was shaking, trying so desperately to warm itself, but quickly had its efforts crushed by the flowing downpour.

Temperance Brennan would never be this affected by the single decision of a man. So who was she now to be reduced to freezing in the rain?

"Cam," Booth called as he stalked into the lab, shoulders tensed and his jaw set "Where is Bones? She won't answer her phone."

"She went to lunch Seeley," Cam explained, hands raised away from her to keep the bloodied flesh from her autopsy away from her.

"And she didn't take her phone?" Booth asked; his face distraught as the worry for his partner pulsed with his blood.

"I don't know," Cam shrugged, "She just said she was leaving for lunch and left."

"Did she seem like anything out of the ordinary?" he inquired, opening his phone and calling Brennan again, pressing the speaker to his ear, and sighing as it constantly rang, and went to her voicemail.

"No, just the normal rational Brennan; correcting everyone and glaring when someone said something not pertinent to the identification of her remains."

Booth felt slightly horrified at Cam's words, and his throat tightened, shaking his head and trying once again to call her. "Her car is still outside, it's raining, and she won't answer her fucking phone, obviously something is wrong."

"Something has been wrong for a while Seeley," she whispered, eyes trained on the muscles and organs in front of her, her fingers dipping into the body and pulling the stomach out slowly, not looking at Booth as she set the organ in a metal pan and sliced the tissue apart.

"What the hell does that mean?" he hissed, his shoulders shaking angrily.

"You know what it means," Cam said, looking up at him, her dark eyes cutting through his anger "You know her better than anyone, you can see it, you know what's wrong, but you both are just averting your eyes and walking in different directions, but that's exactly what you SHOULDN'T do."

He stood silent, his eyes showing how completely overwhelmed he was, his mouth gaping open, unable to bring forth any sort of words.

"Go find her," she ordered, hands stretched away from her again, sighing and shaking her head when Booth sighed and turned, jogging for the door.

He knew exactly where she would be, and he hardly had the SUV in park before he was outside, and running down the trails until he was under the large column that stated 'Atlantic'. He walked down the ramp and gasped at how she was practically seizing, but made no effort to warm herself.

"Bones," he breathed, quickly stripping off his coat and wrapping it around her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and helping her up "Bones, say something."

"I'm fine Booth," she whispered, her voice barely there as she tried to push away from him, but gasped when his warm, strong hand circled around hers.

"You're sitting in the rain," Booth hissed, shaking at how cold her skin was "You're freezing, and you're soaked, please, let me help you for once Bones."

"You're getting wet," she whimpered, still trying to push him away.

"I don't care if I have to forcefully carry you to my apartment Bones, I'll do it."

"I need to go back to my apartment," she objected, whining when he tightened his hold around her back and pulled her forward, guiding her to his SUV and lifting her into the passenger's seat.

"I'm taking you back to my apartment," he whispered, hands still holding on her hips "I'll give you something to wear, and dry your clothes, but Bones, you have to tell me what's going on. I can't sit by and watch you in this much pain."

"I'm not in pain," Brennan returned, strong, with narrowed eyes.

His face contorted in his own agony, and a weak smile stretched across his lips "You're not a very good liar Bones."

She smiled gently, and shook her head, moving herself to sit forward, and resting her head back, bringing her arms through the sleeves of his jacket, and bringing her nose down to the collar, smelling his cologne, and relaxing into the seat.

"Come on Bones," he whispered, his arms wrapped around her again as he led her up to his apartment.

He unlocked his door quickly and led her inside, guiding her back into his bedroom, giving her some of his clothes before nodding to his bathroom. "Go ahead and get changed and I'll throw our stuff in the dryer," he whispered, wishing so much to reach out and brush his fingers against her quivering jaw line.

But she stepped away and nodded once, holding the clothes tight to her chest and smiling up at him. "Thank you, Booth," she murmured, before disappearing back into his bathroom, and sliding the door closed.

He sighed and stepped into his closet, pulling out a t-shirt of his, and a pair of dark jeans, before backing out and grabbing boxers from his dresser. He moved from his room and closed the door, stripping and throwing his things in the dryer before pulling his dry clothes on.

She stepped out only minutes later, hair curled around her shoulders with her wet clothes neatly folded over her arm, while his jacket was outstretched to him on a hanger she took from his closet. "I'm sorry for getting this wet," she whispered, smiling when he took the hanger from her and threw her things into the dryer.

"It's alright Bones," he responded, hanging it up with his other dirty suits that he needed to drop off at the dry cleaners. "It's no big deal. A little water never hurt anyone."

Brennan nodded and moved to his couch, sitting down and staring forward, arms crossed over her chest while she bounced her leg quickly.

Booth moved and sat next to her, shivering as he felt how cold she still was. He pulled the blanket from the back of his couch, and despite a whine of protest, wrapped it tight around her. "Jesus Bones, what happened? Why were you outside when it's pouring the rain?"

"You know me Booth," she said quietly, refusing to meet his gaze "I went there to think."

"About what? You can think anywhere else; couldn't you think somewhere that had shelter?"

"Stop!" she immediately yelled "Stop talking to me like I'm an incompetent child! I'm a grown woman. I made a decision to sit in the rain, and so I sat in the rain. It's not as big of a deal as you're making it. I would have gotten up and left if my internal body temperature started descending into semi dangerous numbers, but I'm fine. You're only making a big deal about it because you think I'm self destructive and too stupid to recognize my own emotions."

"Bones," he whispered on a breath, moving so that he was crouched in front of her, his fingers pressing into her jaw to bring her eyes to his "I would never, think about you like that. I know you aren't stupid, and I don't think you're self destructive. I think you're wilily, and free spirited, not self destructive. But you're also very rational, and even though I know you don't like dealing with emotions, you know what they are. It's human nature to know your emotions, and no matter how hard you try and hide them, and ignore them, they're there, and you know they're there. I just try to get you to see that. You blind yourself sometimes Bones, but we all do that. We all pull the wool over our eyes it not for the soul experience that when we remove it we'll have a whole new outlook."

"But that's where you're wrong Booth, because I always think the same. I told you before I don't change-"

"And I tell you that's a lie," he hushed, his fingers finally, and reluctantly, leaving her skin shakily. "I've seen you change Bones. I've seen it with my own two eyes. The person who changes never knows they change, but you've changed. You admitted you believe in this thing we call love, you're more in touch with the people around you and yourself Bones, you've changed."

She shook her head and stood up, walking to his counter and grabbing his phone, flipping it open and dialing quickly.

"What are you doing with my phone?"

"Calling a cab," she said, giving his address to the woman on the other line before placing his phone where it was and opening his dryer door, pulling her still damp clothes out and slinging them over her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"To the lab, so I can finish my work and get my car."

"I don't think you need to go back to work," Booth argued, following after her and slamming his palm on his door to shut it when she turned the knob.

She whirled around to him and pressed her back against the door, internally gasping when she found their proximity, but refused to let the look of pure need sink into her eyes. "What do you want from me?"

He moved closer and looked down at her, the smallest amount of air fully separating them as his breath collided with hers, and their expanding chests threatened to touch. He saw the internal fight in her eyes, but unfortunately for her, saw the passion settling behind that fight, and a smirk crossed his lips for the shortest of seconds. "I want you…" he started, smirking again at the hitch in her breathing "to tell me why you're holding back."

"Because, throughout all of this Booth," she answered immediately, pressing her body against his to push him back "I would like to keep some semblance of control."

She immediately tore the door open, and pushed past Catherine, whose hand was raised to knock.

The marine biologist looked at her in interest, and then looked at Booth, her innocent eyes wide in shock "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Not at all," he whispered, smiling and wrapping his arms around her back, pulling her into his chest and hugging her, while placing a gentle kiss to her temple.

'_I can't do this much longer…I can't have her almost in my grasp just to watch her slip away. We both know…that sooner or later, that 'control' we have miniscule amounts of, is going to run out, and we're headed for danger….'_

'_Danger, Temperance Brennan, Danger.'_


	14. Hark You Have Her Grasping For Stability

**An: Soooo, you know, it kinda surprised me too that this little 'in the mood writing' thing ended up being almost a whole chapter long, but when I saw the word count I was pleasantly surprised with myself. :D**

**Also, another point I would very much like to address....DOES NO ONE ELSE AGREE THAT THE REMIX OF ALEJANDRO BY LADY GAGA IS KICK ASS!**

**The first time I listened to it I had a Gagasm XD LMFAO (That's a word someone used in a comment on YouTube, and I fully agreed to the epicness to this remix)**

**Also...uh...the season finale is most likely going to make me want to shoot myself (not seriously, already got over that) , and or, throw my computer...like last season. XD**

**BAH!!! FAIL!**

**Eh, I'm going to end up loving it though.**

**That's just the masochist in me ;)**

_

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_

_Life is made up of the wins and the losses; the happiness's and the failures; the loves and the hates. A roller coaster, that ultimately strikes fear into a young child's heart; but at the same time, presents a challenge that spurs the child forward._

_When you finally get your sense of life in high school, right before you are released into the world; that is when the bar comes down and locks in your lap, fear pulsing through you as you start to panic at the knowledge that you can't turn back._

_But you take that cleansing breath, and you are calm. You're ready._

_Even as the lurching of the carts speeds up your heart rate to almost immeasurable levels. _

_As you climb up the hill into the clouds, you're moving into your dorm room, buying food, and getting your books for your intro to anthropology class that you scheduled at eight in the morning._

_And in the smallest of moments, you think you made a mistake, which is proven true when you dive down and feel inertia pressing so hard into you, you think your stomach is going to leap from your throat._

_You end up being late to that eight a.m. class, and you think to yourself "So this is how it's going to start," you first day at college being a horrible one, all because you were late to that single eight a.m. class._

_But then it starts getting better. You meet others like you; others that think like you, talk like you, accept you for who you are, and your roller coaster takes a run for the skies._

_You all have fun, and in a single horrible decision, you decide to go to a party being held at a local sorority house. At this time though, you are legal, and you drink. You play beer pong with these people that helped you through your first years of college, and laugh as you explain the physics of throwing the ping pong ball into the clear cups of frothy golden liquid._

_But that night, you drank too much, and your cart dives down towards the ground._

_You are forced to go to yet another one of your eight a.m. classes hung over, and fighting the bile that threateningly rose into your throat every five minutes._

_A little bump of hope is presented to you, when you are able to hold the contests of your stomach through your eight a.m. class, but that little bump, quickly descends into a valley when you return to your apartment, and you can no longer fight the nausea that had been storming in your stomach for the past hour._

_A single decision ruined your day, a single decision that could have been easily avoided._

_You could have said no, and stayed home studying, but you decided not to, and now you suffer the consequences._

_That's the trick of life, you have to plan your next move carefully, to try and avoid the bumps of your roller coaster. You want to be rolling through the thickest of clouds, and to do so, you'll have to try your hardest to avoid the downward tracks toward the depths of hell._

_Though, the real problem lies in the fact that you can't avoid ALL the downward tracks. You can't go through your life high and mighty and untouchable without being knocked flat on your ass one or two times._

_Another trick of life though, is that while you are knocked on your ass, the most important aspects of your life occur._

_Sometimes you realize you have so much more to live for, and you, forever, put away the rope you so lusted to wrap around your throat. Sometimes you realize the people who were your 'friends' could care less about you, and you find better people to spend your time with. Sometimes you think you find someone great to help you back up, but they push you down in the end. And sometimes…sometimes…you meet that person, and you feel that spark, and you think 'I'll trust them this time' before you allow them to take your hand and pull you off the ground._

_You soon grow closer, and closer, and then before you know it, your cart is rocking back and forth on the tracks, trying desperately to stabilize yourself before you fall from the coaster, and find yourself splattered on the concrete._

_There's where I am now…I'm trying to tilt my cart to the tracks to keep my balance, to keep my sanity, to keep my partner, but I find that I'm failing. I can feel my hips press against the bar, my body moving to fall from the car, but in a last attempt to live, I disappear to my lab, or to the monuments around to think, to plan my next move._

_But time is so limited on this roller coaster ride, a split second…a single decision…is enough to make you, or break you._

_You think back and wonder if accepting his hand was a good decision, if all this pain and confusion and chaos was really worth it. Was it worth sacrificing yourself to have this person as a part of your life?_

_You're answer will always be 'yes'…'hell yes'._

_So you fight. You rock and grasp and cry to try and get this thing straightened out, using every drop of energy in your body to try and get things back to normal, to try and get them balanced._

_But sometimes you win, and feel your cart tilt towards the tracks, and sometimes you lose, and feel the wind rushing through your hair, your clothes, your skin; faster, taunting and teasing like a sick killer before he makes the final stab, or takes the final shot._

_A roller coaster…within a roller coaster…within a roller coaster._

_That is what life is, a roller coaster, a gamble, a butterfly effect of single decisions that could either make you…_

…_or break you._

She wrote something like this before, but under horrible circumstances.

She sat bed-side to her partner as she tried helping him through the dark labyrinth this anesthetic induced coma brought upon him, and she wrote this elaborate story of love, and children, and murder.

But like she had done before, she deleted her thoughts, and the compartmentalization began.

Her thoughts had been voiced, and tied up in a neat box in the form of that document, and when her finger slammed on the 'delete' button, that neat little box was placed in the back of her mind, and she felt slightly relieved.

But not as relieved as she usually felt when she did this.

Betraying thoughts still ran rampant through her brain, and she shook her head in a ludicrous attempt to stop thinking.

A sigh left her slightly quivering lips, and she reached for her cell phone, opening it and holding a button down before placing it to her ear.

"Angela?" she spoke quietly, her voice wavering in the dead and chilling air of the deserted lab. "Do you think we could have one of those, girl's night in, like we used to?"


	15. I Dreamnt About Him Again

**An: Updates FTW!!! Probably going to work on the next chapter of The Protecter, and the next chapter of this tomorrow morning. Look for them both. Also check out my new story "The Booth and Brennan Shuffle." It's my little challenge of putting my iPod on shuffle, and writing a fic to what ever song I get ;)**

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Angela stayed the night with Brennan that night and got her buzzed enough to have a sound mind and laugh about everything at the same time. They slept on a blanket in front of her couch, and talked about anything and everything, giggling and grinning when she saw her best friend finally relax and smile, even if it was a slightly drunken smile.

They played music, and stumbled around her living room, that stumbling to them being dancing. They sang and laughed, and tripped, and fell, and laughed harder, until they were both completely worn out, and holding their stomachs in an attempt to gain their breath.

"I'm going to have to make you my new drinking buddy," Brennan slurred, looking over at Angela and smiling, tilting her head up and laughing at nothing.

"But Booth is your drinking buddy; he's been your drinking buddy for years."

"After…what happened," she murmured, voice finally turning more to the depressed side "Booth, and me, and alcohol…just…doesn't end well."

"Oh," Angela squealed, rolling onto her side and looking at her friend, smiling deviously in an attempt to raise the mood "I sense some good stories! Spill sweetie, spill!"

"Spill, spill what?" Brennan asked, bringing her beer bottle from the top of her coffee table, to her lips.

"The information, the stories. Spill!"

"Well, it was…about…two weeks ago, after…which case was it," she spaced off, shaking her head, before laughing and nodding her head in understanding "it was after the case associated with my reunion. When we were at the bar, and after all of you left, Booth just kept drinking, and drinking, and drinking, until finally I got him to stop and called him a cab. He asked me if I wanted a ride, and I was tired, so I accepted and kinda fell back against the seat, but when he sat down, my cheek rested on his shoulder and I…I just got…intoxicated."

"From the sound of it sweetie, you were already intoxicated," Ange laughed, giggling and rolling further into her pillow, peering over expectantly "but what did you mean?"

"Well, I was intoxicated with alcohol, but I also became intoxicated with his scent. I've always been fond of his cologne, and with alcohol, and him being so close I just…couldn't help myself and I…"

"You did what?!" her friend exclaimed, immediately sitting up and looking down at her with the biggest smile she had ever seen stretch across Angela's face.

"Well…I looked up and I was at my apartment, so I said good bye and…I…kissed…him."

"YOU KISSED HIM!?" Angela screamed, violently rocking back in forth in an action Brennan could only assume to be one of extreme happiness.

"Well, it was just on the neck, against his pulse, and it barely lasted five steam boats," Brennan immediately tried arguing, stopping when she saw the look of confusion cross Angela's face. "Oh, never mind."

"Ah!!!" she squealed, smiling and shaking gently "So…did anything ELSE happen?"

"A week after that I stormed into Booth's house and dumped out all his beer, and wine, and scotch, because he was once again drinking a lot, and I got scared considering the…alcoholism in his family," Brennan muttered quietly, her hands shaking gently at the thought, before she continued onward "but, I held his face between my hands, and wiped away the tears settled against his skin, and I said 'No more alcohol, no more tears' and he said I was beautiful and wanted me to kiss him."

"And you DIDN'T?" Angela asked, shaking her head and lying back on the pillows littered along the blanket "Jesus Bren, if I were you…I wouldn't be waiting."

"But, you and Hodgins are sort of like Booth and I, friends, co-workers, with some slight romantic tension, and you're waiting…" Brennan pointed out, her eyes closing dangerously, as she pointed at her best friend.

"You know what, you're drunk, go to sleep," Ange argued, throwing the large blanket at their feet over their bodies.

"But, the beer isn't gone yet," the dizzy anthropologist murmured, setting her beer down before falling against the pillows and rolling into the ball.

"Good night sweetie," Angela murmured, bringing the blanket further over her best friend's shoulder.

"Night Ange…" she slurred, "and thanks."

Brennan awoke first, and sat up from her floor, groaning and rubbing her neck as she tried to relieve the pain pulsing in her temples. She stood up and stumbled into her kitchen, opening her refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water to down the aspirin she pulled out of her cabinet.

Once the pills settled in her stomach, she moved back into her bedroom, and slid into the shower, turning the water on as hot as she could stand, before moving in and standing under the scolding spray, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth against the burning water.

She washed her hair and slid soap over her body before she shaved her legs, and stumbled out into the choking hot room full of steam.

Opening her door into her bedroom, she walked into her closet and pulled out light sweat pants and a tank top, sliding both over her body before she dried her hair with her towel, and threw the wet terry cloth into the hamper down the hall.

Brennan made her way into the kitchen and started cleaning up the mess Angela and her left last night before they fell asleep, throwing empty beer bottles away and dumping out the opened, half empty bottles setting on her coffee table.

Angela woke when Brennan tied the trash bag together, and the empty bottles rattled loudly.

"Sorry," Brennan whispered, her head ache just now starting to subside.

"Uh," Ange groaned, rolling over and holding a pillow tight to her chest. "Aspirin?" she murmured, closing her eyes from the light.

"Here," Bren answered, handing the bottle to Angela and giving her a bottle of water with it.

The hung over artist muttered her approval and thanks, taking two of the pills and throwing them in her mouth before taking a deep, refreshing swig of water, and dropping her head onto the soft pillow below her.

"I think we had just a little too much fun last night," Brennan whimpered, setting the trash bag full of glasses near her door, before moving to plop down on her couch near Angela.

"Maybe so, but, we had fun. We sang, we danced, we laughed, we drank, we had a party fit for a king."

"I accept you're visual, since many royal parties included all of those things."

Ange looked up at her best friend and rolled her eyes, reaching her hand up and tapping her knee with an open palm. "Ah sweetie. We're hung over, and it's too early to be talking science. Take another nap, and maybe we'll both feel better when we wake up."

"But I'm not tired," she objected, smiling when Angela forcefully squeezed the pressure points in her knee.

"Sweetie, you're tired…please…go back to sleep."

Brennan found herself quite tired in fact and laid down on her couch, pulling one of her pillows from the floor and holding the soft object between her arms, releasing a content sigh and muttering five simple words before she fell asleep, that both sent a chill down Angela's spine, and brought a smile to her face.

"I dreamt about him again."


	16. Selfless

**An: So I really love this chapter because I think the end of this beast shows how much they still love each other. :) It's awwww-ful...XD The good Aww-ful, not awful, but awwwwful...YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! **

**Check out my new story 'The Booth and Brennan Shuffle' and look out for new chapters heading your way.**

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She missed going on these 'undercover' missions with Booth; even if this one wasn't necessarily undercover.

She found the Wicca culture interesting, and was very intriguing despite the nudity throughout the rituals. Though, what was interesting about that part of the dance was Booth's reaction.

He stated this situation always happened to people you don't want to see naked, but, many of the women participating in this practice, were very attractive and beautifully sculpted. A few were even blonde; and even though Brennan felt compelled to ask him about the subject, she recognized her boundaries, and held her tongue.

'_Boundaries…We have boundaries…'_

She didn't like that fact, but Max told her multiple times in her childhood that you always had to do things you didn't like, or didn't want to do, and this certainly, was one of those times.

Those thoughts ran through her mind throughout the whole case, and she felt abandoned by how distant they had grown in the past few weeks.

Sure they still ate together, and drank together after cases, and spent time with each other, but the whole time they spent their time together, it seemed tense, and pained, like it was slowly killing both of them just to be in each other's presence.

Yes, they still laughed at each other, with each other, and they still smiled when with the other, but it hurt more than anything to not be able to reach out and touch the other in comfort, soothing them with gentle, loving passes of their fingertips.

Holding the drinks in their hands, they focused more on the burning in their chest, then the pain in the other's eyes, Booth finally deciding to break the ice by pulling out a small white effigy.

She looked at him confused, and she didn't understand why he had the little figurine, until he explained that the women gave it to them, and told him that if he burned it in her presence, his wish for her would come true.

Brennan's mouth, opened to argue like she always did, feeling normal through their bickering for a second, until his eyes closed, and he set the white figure on fire, jerking his hand back after she said "Watch you don't burn your fingers!" in a voice drunk with concern.

His fingers didn't burn, but instead Brennan's chest seemed to be on fire when he asked if she wanted to know what he wished for, and told her against her protests.

"I wish…I wish that you could find happiness."

Her eyes widened for a second, before she leaned on her elbows and looked at her hands, muttering "I don't know what that means," as a sad excuse for reacting.

"Happiness…love…laughter…friendship…purpose…and a dance."

She smiled, and tilted her head "Oh…well then thank you," she whispered, laughing when he looked at her and released a teasing sound.

"Why do you think that's funny?"

"Because, you wouldn't have thanked me if you didn't think part of it, was true."

They continued their bickering, and laughed until their stomachs burned in pain, and they felt the alcohol taking too much precedence over them.

They left the bar together, and decided to walk through the parks across the street. They talked, and leaned into the other unconsciously until they found themselves at the steps of the Lincoln memorial, and they took their seats on the steps.

Their shoulders brushed against the other, and they both leaned back and took in the cool night air, looking up at the stars and gathering the shiny objects into the depths of their eyes.

His gaze fell to hers, and he saw the stars reflect in her pupils, her face completely relaxed and…happy, as she looked at one of the few things he knew still reminded her of her mother.

She felt him staring at her, and turned to look at him, gasping softly at their proximity, and narrowing her eyes in pressured pain.

He sighed, and saw the look in her eyes, leaning back and pulling another small effigy from his pocket, his eyes closing as he opened his lighter, and set it on fire.

"You need to stop doing that," Brennan argued, reaching over and grabbing his wrist, turning his fingers to face up to the sky. "You're going to burn your fingers."

He smiled and placed his lighter in his pocket, before reaching over and covering her hand with his. "I'm fine Bones," he whispered gently, smiling and brushing his thumb against the side of her hand "I didn't get burned; besides, a little burn never killed anyone."

Brennan sighed and shook her head, bringing her free hand to cover his and rested her head against his shoulder for a moment, before sitting up again. "So, what did you wish for this time?"

"For you never to be sad," he whispered, squeezing her hand gently. "And even though I know it's not practical…it's still a wish of mine."

She breathed out shakily, and leaned over to place a gentle kiss to his cheek in thanks, pulling back and squeezing his hands in return. "You're the most selfless man I've ever met," she whispered, her voice faltering slightly. "Thank you, for your concern for me, and your kindness towards me."

"Bones," he muttered back quietly, resting his head against hers when she rested her head on his shoulder again.

"May I burn one?"

"What?"

"I asked if I could burn an effigy," Brennan whispered, raising her head and lifting her hand so that he could slip his hand into his pocket and pull out one of the small figurines, along with his lighter.

"You said you didn't believe in wishes though," Booth argued, handing the two objects over to her anyway.

"I don't, but you do," she stated, smiling at him gently "and that's enough for me."

He opened his mouth, but was unable to speak, so he sat and watched as she opened and lit his lighter, closing her eyes, and bringing her teeth to gently press into her lower lip as she brought the flame to the effigy, and she dropped the single stick remaining from the figure beside her.

"What did you wish for?" he asked, smiling widely when her hands returned to their previous places.

"For you to end up with that one person that will make you happy for fifty years," she answered, resting her head on his shoulder, and smiling when his head turned and he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You're the most selfless woman I've ever met," he whispered, "and I thank you for your concern for me, and your kindness towards me."


	17. Pretty Girl In Suffering

**An: For some reason, I love this chapter, even though I think it's really sad. :( If you guys haven't seen the sneak peeks for the Bones episode this Thursday, Brennan does tell Booth that she has nightmares about Hodgins bleeding and Booth drowning and she can't do anything about it...and they hug and it's so cute! But, this is my little run down of her dreams I suppose, since that's really as in depth as they go.**

**But none the less, I love this chapter, and CANNOT wait till Thursday, it's going to be amazing...and...I HAVE NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!**

**Yay for election day!**

**EXTRA AWESOME BONUS POINTS TO WHOEVER CAN TELL ME WHAT SONG THE TITLE OF THIS CHAPTER COMES FROM!!!**

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It was Friday night when she received the notification, and she so desperately wanted to run outside and call back the cab that took Booth away, but of course that wasn't practical, and her already slightly intoxicated self wouldn't be able to run downstairs without some sort of injury.

Her hands were shaking, and she felt as if she had been frozen in ice for almost five thousand years. Tears of fear, and of anger, and of pure, unadulterated hatred burned into her skin as they rolled down her cheeks, and she held tight to her counter to keep herself from falling on her weakened knees.

She would soon have to face the Gravedigger once again. She would have to face the same arrogant bitch that not only tried to kill her and Hodgins, but tried to kill Booth.

Heather Taffet…she remembered her perfectly, sitting in that chair with her hands tied behind her back, an evil smirk on her lips and a cocky glint in her eyes. She never spoke a word, when they were trying to find Booth, and even through the excruciating pain of her broken ribs, she still thought she reigned victorious.

And she was sure she would be exactly the same, even dressed in an orange jump suit.

But in the end, she did win.

She etched a fear into Brennan's memory that no matter how hard she tried to forget, or how hard she tried to compartmentalize, she could never stop the nightmares of feeling hopelessly pathetic as the people she loved died before her, and she could do nothing.

Nothing to stop the bleeding…

Nothing to stop the drowning…

Nothing but just to watch, and scream, and cry, and pound, and kick, and thrash to get out of the damn confines of her mind to try and help them.

But her dreams never relented an avail, and she would always wake up screaming, and crying, clutching hard to anything she could reach as cold sweat mixed with shed tears.

She never told anyone about her nightmares, no matter how much they ate away at her; she was too rational to succumb to the fear of nightmares. She rationalized, and compartmentalized in the late morning hour until she had to get up to go to work, and she went through her whole normal routine. Even though the fear was still present, she placed a metaphorical mask upon herself, giving off a cold and apathetic demeanor; that mask dissolving the second she saw Hodgins or Booth.

A single connection of blue or brown eyes was enough to calm her, and finally forget about her midnight scare.

She would go through her workday, and sometimes Booth would pick up that something was wrong, but no matter how many times he asked, Brennan pushed him away, and promised that she was fine.

At the time she is fine though...

It isn't until she's thrashing under her Egyptian cotton sheets, crying, and screaming out Hodgins and Booth's names. That's when she's not fine.

At 11:15, Brennan finally relented, and snuck under her covers, a pillow being drawn close to her chest as she found solace in the quickly warming cocoon of blankets.

At 11:30, Brennan's eyes finally closed, and her body sunk into sleep, everything fading out to her, if only for an hour, before the images started crashing behind her eyes at 12:30.

Her hand moved against her pillow at 12:32, and the chain reaction began.

By 12:35, she was panting.

By 12:37, she was whimpering.

By 12:41, tears were streaked down her cheeks.

By 12:43, her legs were moving violently under her gray sheets.

By 12:45, she's screaming, thrashing, and trying once again to break through the impregnable seal of her dreams, her hand going numb as she slammed it multiple times into this imaginary bubble stopping her from saving the life of two people she cared about.

By 12:47, she sees the Gravedigger's face, her evil grin evolving into a full out smile, which parted slightly as a bragging laugh left her throat.

By 1:00, she's crying harder, and she's awoken from sleep, choking violently on her own tears as she sat up and panted, trying so hard to breathe, but failing to do so for a good few minutes.

By 1:03, she can breathe again, and even though her chest is slowing, cold sweat still slid down the sides of her face, and collided with the trails left by the choking tears dissolving from her throat.

By 1:07, she is calm. She can breathe, she can see, she can hear, she can smell, she can taste, she can touch. Her senses are in check, and she takes in her surroundings.

By 1:13, everything is observed and accounted for. She's in her room, in her bed, in her apartment, where the door and every window is securely locked. She hears no sounds except for the soft breeze brushing across the windows and the roar of a single car driving down the road. She smells only her scent left behind, a combination of herself and her vanilla perfume. She tastes only her tears, and she feels nothing but the soft fabric of her sheets below her.

By 1:15, her head is pounding, and she stumbles on week knees to her bathroom.

By 1:16, she is staring into her disheveled appearance. Scattered hair, red, puffy eyes, sickly paled skin glistening with sweat and tears.

By 1:17, she opens the medicine cabinet by her mirror, and takes out ibuprofen. Two of the brown pills fall into her hand and she throws them into her mouth; swallowing hard, and rubbing her eyes before she shut off her bathroom light and moved to her bed again.

By 1:20, her phone is in her hands, and she contemplates calling Booth. Only would she call him in her time of need at one in the morning, but like always she doesn't, and by 1:22 her phone has returned to its normal spot on her bedside table.

Her head rests back on her dampened pillow at 1:23, and a shaky breath is pulled into her lungs immediately after.

She tries to sleep, but it doesn't work, and she up by 2:03, moving around her apartment and trying so hard to find something to occupy her.

By 2:05, she settles on her couch with a cold beer and her laptop and starts researching information for her next book.

By 3:10, she starts typing, and by 5:30 she has finished two beer bottles, and typed up 3 chapters of her upcoming book.

At 5:31, she saves the files, and closes her laptop, returning it to its case, and moving the case to the door, where she will pick it up before she leaves.

At 5:33, she moves into her bathroom once again, and runs a shower, starting her normal routine, as always, and by 6:25, Booth is at her door, knocking happily, with two cups of coffee in his hands.

At 6:26, he looks at her with concern, and steps a fraction closer. He asks if she is okay, and by 6:27, she begins her denial.

"Booth, you have an overactive concern for me that I don't understand. I am fine, just didn't get as much sleep as I wanted to last night. I was late on starting my book, and I'm not going to miss my deadline."

By 6:29, her denial worsens, and by 6:30, he still doesn't believe her.


	18. You're My Everything

**An: Longer chapters for the WINNNNNN! So I'm sorry for my being slow, because I still need to update The Booth and Brennan Shuffle, for today, and I found the latin phrase I'm going to use for the next chapter of Romancing A Dead Language, and now I just have to write them. XD I'm working on those and will most likely get them posted sometime within the next few hours. :) Love you guys, oh and you're going to love me for this chapter ;)**

* * *

The same terrifying sequence began Saturday night; the only amendments being that Brennan didn't have to get ready for work afterwards, and that the terror lasted much, much longer.

She felt like she was going into cardiac arrest by the time she shot up from her bed, and it took her minutes longer to slow her heart beat then it did the night before.

Her phone was clasped to her chest like usual, but it was returned to her bedside table when she stood, and moved into her living room.

She continued her book until dawn's magnificent colors stretched through her window, and she stood to admire the beautiful city sunrise.

As the large yellow orange disc floated into the sky, and the surrounding atmosphere burst into an array of colors, Angela's voice struck across her mind.

_"Have you ever noticed that a sunset looks more beautiful when you share it with somebody that you care about?" _

That sole piece of advice intrigued Brennan now, and then, and she felt a trickle of disappointment in herself at her failure to experiment further on such knowledge; even though at this moment she was looking at a sunrise, and not a sunset.

She wanted to know if the sunset's beauty could be heightened just by the person standing beside you as you watch, but Brennan also wanted to escape the confines of her apartment, and she believed the latter took precedence.

So she quickly took a shower, and slid clothes on instead of pajamas, before she grabbed money, her keys, and her phone, and practically ran out the door.

Booth groaned as he sleepily walked into his living room, and a soft knock met his ears.

At 7:30 in the morning he truly didn't know who could be standing behind his door, but his heart sped at the hope that it was his Bones that he would lay his eyes upon.

'Fucking pathetic wuss,' he thought to himself before he opened his door, and a smile stretched across his face. "Bones, what are you doing here?"

She took in his shirtless torso, and took longer to answer that normal, but after a deep breath her eyes left his muscled flesh and connected with his. "I wanted coffee, and decided to save you the time of making your own," she muttered, holding up the cup holder. "And I knew that this was your weekend with Parker, so I got him some hot chocolate."

Booth smiled and stepped to the side, opening his door further "You're amazing Bones," was all he said along with his silent invitation inside.

She smiled and a gentle blush rose to her cheeks "For what? Bringing both you and your son something to drink?"

"Yup," was all he offered, and he laughed as her eyes filled with confusion as she was faced with irrationality.

He chuckled and gently touched her shoulder. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, buy I don't want to intrude on your time with Parker."

"You won't be intruding Bones, he loves you, and if he wakes up and sees you're here he won't let you leave," he said, his charm smile stretching across his lips, which she easily melted into.

"Fine," she whispered, smiling up at him and soon finding herself feel that familiar pressure against her chest. Irrational wants floated across her eyes, and she sighed a sigh of relief when Parker emerged from his room and rubbed his eyes.

"Hi Dr. Bones," Parker muttered happily, but sleepily "When did you get here? Did you spend the night with daddy?"

The partners cleared their throats and shook their heads "No Parker, why would you think that?"

"Everyone has sleepovers, and you are here but you look really tired and daddy is still in his pajamas," the little kid explained, walking to Brennan and wrapping his arms around her waist, burying his face in her side as he hugged her.

Brennan smiled and rested her hand in the curly, sandy blonde hair, before she crouched down and wrapped her arms around Parker's back, his arms moving around her neck.

Booth smiled at the interaction between his partner and his son, clapping his hands together quietly and bringing their attention on him. "What does everyone want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" Parker said excitedly, releasing Brennan from his vice, and allowing her to stand up. He looked up at her and smiled the Booth charm smile "His pancakes are amazing Dr. Bones."

She smiled and ruffled Parker's hair again, looking up at Booth and sharing a gentle smile just between them "Alright," she agreed quietly "That's fine with me."

Booth smiled and clapped his hands together again, louder this time, before he pointed to Brennan animatedly and said "You got it babe," but then pointed to his son and raised his eyebrows before asking his question "Bacon?"

"Yes please," the little Booth smiled, looking up at Brennan and tilting his head "Why are you blushing Bones?"

"No reason," she brushed off quietly, pulling the cups she got out of the container, and handing the hot chocolate to Parker. "I got this for you on my way here," Brennan said, smiling softly "It's hot chocolate."

The largest smile erupted that Parker could manage, and he took the large cup between his two small hands "Thanks Bones!"

"You're welcome," she whispered softly.

"Do you want to watch cartoons with me?"

"How about you turn them on, and I'll help your dad with breakfast; if he will let me help; and then I will watch cartoons with you after breakfast."

"Okay," the little one easily accepted, smiling and sipping the hot, but deliciously sweet drink, before moving and plopping on the couch.

She smirked and moved back towards the kitchen, leaning on the threshold for a second before saying "You know, frying bacon shirtless isn't a good idea." She walked over to him with a gentle smile on her lips; and pointed her finger in enunciation at the sizzling pan of bacon.

"Bones, I'm fine," he said, slapping a piece of the finely cut meat in the pan, and jumping back with an angered kiss when a large splash of oil landed on his chest.

She sighed and bent down, pulling out a plastic bag and loading it with ice, before walking to him, wrapping her hand around his arm, and moving him to sit down on one of the tall chairs in his kitchen before she placed the ice over the slightly burned spot.

His breathing hitched under her hand, and she peered up at him with a look in her eyes he couldn't really pin. Standing between his legs with her hand holding ice to his chest, he felt a whole new warmth settle in his chest, and his hands remained stiffly on his thighs.

"Am I going to live?" he asked softly, the huskiness in his voice unavoidable.

She smirked and shook her head slowly "I think you're going to be okay," she murmured, moving the ice away and running her fingers on the cold, pinkened flesh, his scar from being shot pushing against her fingers.

Color seemed to drain from her face, and he brought one of his hands to rest against her shoulder, his thumb stroking softly "Bones are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," she returned, her fingers moving back and forth across the scar, her pink, tired eyes darkened, and made her look like she hadn't slept for days.

"This wasn't your fault," he whispered, his other hand rising to cover hers, and flatten her fingers to his chest.

"Yes it was."

"No, you did nothing. You were yourself and that made Pam feel inferior, and her only source for some sort of relief was a gun shot," he whispered, the hand at her shoulder instinctually coming to rest on her cheek to cradle her face in his hand.

"So, I constantly hurt you, and I don't even know I do it."

"Jesus no," he hushed, his thumb brushing comfortingly under her eye. "If anything you make my life better. You probably won't understand this, or won't want to hear this but you give purpose to my life. You and Parker both."

"How to I give your live purpose," Brennan whispered, finding that as her hand was pressed to his chest, their heart beats had synchronized.

"My day is revolved around you, taking care of you, teaching you, learning from you. It's all about you. I smile when you smile and I'm sad when you're sad. You're my standard, you're my...everything," he explained, breathless by his confession, and feeling pitiful, vulnerable, and broken in her eyes.

Her free hand rose and touched his cheek, pain settling in her eyes as her mind fought for what she should do. She wanted so badly to lean in and press her lips to his, but her confusion reigned supreme, and Temperance Brennan never did something unless she was absolutely certain.

"I...I'm sorry," she whispered, brushing her soft fingers across his cheek "I...just, wish I knew what I am thinking, and for a first time, I don't."

Booth smiled and tilted his head in her hand "It's alright Bones; I'm not going to push you when you're confused like this. That was my mistake when...we told Sweets about...our first case."

"No mistake has been created from your actions Booth," Brennan whispered "I assure you of that."

They shared a smile and she leaned forward, pressing a gentle, but longing kiss to his cheek before pulling back and stepping from his arms. "Go get a shirt on, I'll take care of the bacon until then," she offered, taking a fork and flipping the strips of meat easily.

He chuckled and nodded, walking from his kitchen and ruffling his son's hair before he walked into his bedroom and pulled on a black and gold FBI shirt. He knew they got somewhere, and even though he didn't know where exactly they got, he knew it was major progress.


	19. Through Pain Is Safety

**An: My LORD! Longest chapters are reigning supreme today, and I'm LOVING IT. It kinda made me laugh because I didn't know if I would be able to reach 1,000 words for this chapter and ended up with three times that. Woo! Super points for me tonight! So what did you guys think about the trial? I loved it, and even though it was so 'heart crushing' every sad moment is a large step closer for Booth and Brennan...so depicted in the chapter below...**

**..Enjoy!**

* * *

Booth eventually made his way to the office, following Brennan's lead when she was upset, and burying himself in his work, but he soon found that it was hard to file any paperwork, by the shakiness of his hands.

He sat, staring forward, and looking over the pictures in his office, before he remembered the hidden picture he kept in his desk.

It was one of them, smiling at each other while sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Booth didn't know when Angela took that shot, but when she handed the picture over to him, he couldn't refuse it.

He couldn't refuse anything that had to deal with her, and his realizations colliding with that fact, shattered him into a million pieces.

"Hey…Cher, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked, her work bag slung over her shoulder. "I would have thought you would be having one more drink with your girlfriend before the night was over."

Booth silently shook his head, and bowed between his fingers, bringing a tilt to Caroline's head as she saw the shakiness of his whole entire body.

"Cher…what happened?"

"She's…she's not my girlfriend," he choked out, his voice borderline tears as he looked up at the prosecutor and smiled.

"She might as well be, the way she has you this shaken up…and I'm going to ask this again, and this time you're going to tell me. What happened?" Caroline ordered, throwing her bag unceremoniously onto the ground, and moving to hover over him.

"I…I can't hold onto her," he whispered, two tears dropping from his eyes and onto his jeans, as he replayed over and over again how many times she has slipped from his grasp; both figuratively and literally; and he was forced to watch.

"Now, Cher, you aren't making sense," Caroline said, leaning against his desk and crossing her arms over her chest. "Mind starting from the beginning."

"She doesn't want to deal with murder anymore…" Booth explained, sitting back and bringing the picture to move between his fingers. "She's tired of it all, and she told me she might need time…a lot of time…to get her head straight."

"Now, I know where that can disorient you, but what triggered the tears. Never once, even in physical pain enough to kill a person, have I seen Seeley Booth cry."

"I held her hand, and tried to pull her towards me. Asked her to have just…one more drink, but she pulled away, got in that cab, and…rode away, looking back at me like the first time we kissed."

"So…my little blackmail scheme two years ago wasn't your first kiss?" Caroline asked with distain, huffing as her pedestal was ripped from under her.

"No…back, 6 years ago, when you told me to get her drunk before I fired her…well I did just that, and we kissed," he explained, looking at the picture in his hands, and brushing his finger across her form. "It…was unexplainable…I physically couldn't breathe when she pushed herself away…and that small giggle left her lips."

"And she's NOT your girlfriend?" she asked once again, her teasing smile falling when she saw how deep the pain set in Booth's eyes.

"Yes…I'm sure. She's nowhere close," Booth whispered, his eyes falling to the picture once again, before he threw it onto his desk, and buried his eyes under his hand. "I tried…I tried to get her to see that I…I tried," he finally mustered, brushing away his tears. "But, it wasn't enough. I thought we were getting somewhere Sunday morning but…she'll still slip away, and I won't be able to stop her."

"What are you scared about Cher?" Caroline asked, reaching out and resting her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "You said she needed time…are you afraid she'll run away?"

"Yes!" he cried out, standing up and reaching for the stress ball he squeezed tight between his fingers. "I know for sure she's going to run away, but…like every time before I'm not going to be able to stop her. She ran away after I woke up from my coma, she ran away from me 6 years ago, why the hell wouldn't she run away again?" he yelled, throwing his ball across the room, and shattering some sort of glass object he didn't care about at the moment.

"Booth," Caroline yelled, pointing to the seat in front of her "Sit down."

He did as was asked, and brushed away his tears in disgust, his knee bouncing up and down quickly as he brought his knuckle between his teeth and bit down hard.

"Now you listen to me boy," the prosecutor said, throwing a finger in his direction. "Everything happens for a reason. She ran from you 6 years ago…and a year later-"

"13 months," Booth interrupted, looking up at Caroline and narrowing his eyes in apology. "Sorry."

"As I WAS saying…a year later you were partnered with the woman…and she ran away from you after your coma, but what happened? She came back…" Caroline whispered, leaning further to Booth, and bringing her finger closer to his face. "She. Came. Back. They say you have to let the ones you love go."

"But what if this time she doesn't come back?" Booth croaked, cursing himself for the weakness in his voice. "What if I lose her forever because of faith in…whatever will happen?"

"Somewhere down the line…you two switched thinking. Dr. Brennan spoke from her heart on the stand today…and now you…you're losing faith in the inevitable. You're a fate man Seeley Booth."

Booth chuckled, and shook his head, a small shine coming to his eyes.

"What?" Caroline asked sassily, leaning back against his desk once again.

"The first thing I asked her was if she believed in fate," he observed, smiling gently and shaking his head, his eyes loosing color now as he thought back to that moment in the lecture hall. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as her in my life…I still haven't. She's everything I never thought she would be…and she…dazzles me. I've seen her good side, and her bad side, and I know everything she went through, and the terror and pain she feels…to others she's another member of the Island of Misfit Toys…a lost cause…but, to me…it's so different, the complete opposite of that actually. To me, she's like that shiny toy that just came out that every kid wants, but you have no hope of ever getting enough money to buy it and you just have to sit and admire. Look but don't touch, ya know?"

Caroline stood silent and shook her head, sighing before she spoke "You…are so in love with this woman…it's enough to make me sick."

Booth laughed, and brought the picture on his desk into his fingers again. "I want to talk to her…I want to see her…I want to hold her, and tell her everything is going to be okay, but every time that spark between us starts…she pulls away, and before I can blink my eyes she's gone."

"And what about this Catherine girl who's been floating around the bureau?"

Booth sighed and shook his head, bringing his knuckle to his teeth again. "I...I'm a pathetic bastard. Catherine is bright, and funny, and pretty but…the more time I spend with her the more I wish it were Bones, and I need to end it with her. I can't stand men who use women and now I am one."

The prosecutor opened her mouth to speak, but Booth's strangled voice interrupted her. "I don't know who I am anymore. She's become my lifeline. I live for her…and I told her that, but…I don't know what she thinks anymore. My marksman was horrible until she was there, until I was thinking about protecting her…who would have thought Seeley Booth would need his partner there to get his shot back."

"Booth, Cher, you really need to sit her down and tell her all this-"

"No!" Booth growled, shaking his head back and forth "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, I will never tell her this, unless she decides she wants to know first."

"So, she holds everything?" Caroline asked, finding her heart aching for the broken down agent in front of her.

"Everything," he agreed, nodding his head once. "Sooner or later though…she'll make her ultimate decision and the pain will be gone…and it'll be either for the better, or…not."

"Not? What's going to happen if, and I say IF strongly, she pushes all of this with you away?" she asked, knowing immediately she regretted asking that question when he looked at her with sunken, dead eyes.

"Then my gun will ring out for the last time, and I'll be the last life I take."

"Cherie don't talk like that," Caroline breathed, shaking her head "I won't have talk of suicide around me, or else I'm going to be forced to tell and get you some serious help."

"I told you she was my lifeline Caroline," Booth muttered, running his finger over her face in the picture. "I mean that in every sense of the word. She keeps me alive, and without her…"

"What about your son? And your friends? Your job? You have so much you have accomplished, and you want to blow out your heart?"

"Not now…definitely not now…but you don't understand the numbing pain I'm in right now…I can't…I can't watch her leave me again and again and again only hoping she comes back, but never truly knowing.."

"She comes back Booth," Caroline whispered "She'll come back; I didn't just bring up your guy's 'looks' to be cute. She might be confused but she feels something, and that something is enough to bring her back to you."

"I just…want to go and see her again tonight," was all Booth could offer, before another tear dropped down from his eyes.

"Then go," Caroline ordered. "You know her better than anyone, and I know her enough to know not even she can be fine with all of this Gravedigger mess."

"She has nightmares…" Booth whispered, looking up "she sees Hodgins bleeding, and me drowning, and she can't help."

"Then go, and comfort her, give her a hug, tell her it's going to be alright. She may be your lifeline, but you're hers too, Booth. She can't function correctly without you," Caroline finished, clapping her hand over Booth's shoulder, before stopping and looking at the picture. "Cute…" she whispered, smiling at the perfectly printed proof of love, sitting in front of this hurt man, and he was too blind to see it.

She sat up and gasped, her skin glistening as a knock reached her ears. She shook her head, and dismissed the time before she crept to the door and looked through the peephole, opening the door timidly, and sucking her lower lip into her mouth when she saw Booth's eyes widen.

"Bones, you're sweating," he whispered, stepping inside and brushing his fingers across her collar bone softly. "Did you have another one of those nightmares?"

"I…I'm fine Booth," she returned, but her voice was shaky, and she was immediately swept into a warm embrace.

She shivered in his arms, and held onto him tightly, feeling relief finally come to her as she felt his solid form protecting her from these demons that haunted her mind. She sniffled softly, and stiffened when his cheek brushed against her neck.

"Booth have you been crying?" Brennan whispered, pulling back enough to still have his arms around her, but her eyes planted on the wet trails down his face.

"It's nothing Bones," he whispered, retracting his arms and quickly passing them over his eyes, moving his gaze to something else in her apartment. "I just…finally got to unload everything that has been weighing me down."

"Why didn't you come to me?" she asked; her voice small and sad. "You talk to me about everything. Especially when you're upset."

"I just couldn't, come to you this time," Booth admitted, his hands slipping into his pocket as he still saw the gleam of her skin from nightmare induced sweat.

"Why couldn't you?" Brennan asked, her voice becoming monotone, and rational.

"I just couldn't Bones. You wouldn't understand anyway, and I said things tonight that would scare you, and I would rather not be committed tomorrow," he explained, his hands now coming to rub his eyes fiercely.

"Booth I would never have you committed, unless you provided reasonable proof in engaging in such committable actions."

"Okay, now is not the time to be rational with me Temperance," he spat "I would very much prefer if you…just…weren't rational with me right now."

"What could be of such weight on a person that you're this upset? I never see you cry, and when that occasional tear does slip it's always around me. Are you not comfortable with me anymore?" she whispered her question, her arms crossing over her chest and giving an object of interest for her sad eyes.

His finger shot forward out of habit and brushed under her chin, also dampened with tears. Her gaze rose to his, and he saw genuine sadness in their deep blue depths.

"Bones…you have to believe me. You don't want to hear what I said…you don't want to hear those confessions because they will corrupt you…and I can't have that. I know you'll say you can't be corrupted but, there are going to be many decisions down the line, and I want you to make them because of what you want…and not because you pity me," he explained, his knuckles trailing down her jaw line before he pulled his hand back to his side.

"I don't pity you," Brennan whispered breathlessly, her eyes widened as if tears would burst from behind her eyelids at any moment.

Booth sighed and stepped forward, pulling her into his chest once again. His hands ran up and down her back comfortingly, and he felt her shaky breathing against his chest. "You should probably try and get some sleep Bones. You look completely exhausted."

"I won't be able to sleep," she muttered, taking in deep breaths of his comforting scent. "Will you please sleep here, I'll make up the guest bedroom for you…I just…if they happen again, I want to know you're okay."

"If that makes you feel better I will," he promised, pulling away and bringing his hands to cup her face, his thumbs making work of the tears falling down her cheeks. "And I'll even sit and rub your back until you fall asleep," he joked, smiling as a smile stretched across her lips and a laugh left her lungs.

"Will you?" she whimpered pathetically, slumping in her posture and bringing her hands to arch her back and try to release the pain that had settled there this past week.

"If it makes you feel better I will," he repeated, smiling and grabbing her hand before leading her back into her bedroom, a sacred place he had never set foot in before.

She smiled at the gentle, but electrifying contact of their fingers, the digits just loosely locked together as she stepped into the darkened and still slightly frightening confines of her bedroom.

Booth laughed and swung her around on the tips of his fingers until she was gently thrown onto her bed, and laid there curled on her back.

He kicked his shoes off, and slipped his leather jacket from his shoulders, throwing both away before he settled down on her bed, and laughed, bouncing up and down gently, before she reached over and smacked his chest.

"What, it's bouncy," Booth muttered, before she simply laughed, and rolled into him, guiding his arms behind her, where his hands settled under her t-shirt and his fingers began rolling against her spine.

She whimpered a soft moan, and brought her hands to gently rest on his chest, her head rested against his shoulder instead of her pillow as her eyes grew heavy at the pleasure of the pressure on her back.

He rested his head against hers and continued running his finger tips up and down her spine, applying gentle pressure against her skin, as his eyes closed, and he wished so much to see the darkened indentations from his fingers on her flawless ivory skin.

But not matter how much the other wanted, their clothes remained where they were, but small victories settled in their hearts.

Tired from the entire case, and the hurt, and pain, they both closed their eyes and cleared their mind, Booth's movements lulling Brennan to sleep, and Brennan's breathing lulling Booth in turn.

His hands eventually stilled and settled against her lower back, their bodies pressed closely together as they slept, and held each other as pure peace, and tranquility rushed into their broken, tattered, and frayed bodies.


	20. Breaking Away

**An: Epic sadness. XD**

* * *

When Booth opened his eyes, Brennan was neatly tucked into his chest, her head rested calmly on his slowly moving chest. They both were still over the covers, and Booth tried his hardest to keep his chest movements regulated and keep Brennan asleep for as long as he could.

He knew she hadn't been sleeping well; evidence playing forth from last night, and truthfully, he never got to see her asleep. He never saw how relaxed her face was, and how her eyes moved behind her eye lids as she dreamed of something that didn't involve the Gravedigger.

She whimpered something quietly, and he looked down at her, her body moving against him as her eyes moved quicker behind her eye lids, and they quickly blinked open.

She looked around confused and looked up at Booth, blushing nervously and straightening up quickly.

"Bones calm down," Booth groaned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes "We both just fell asleep."

"I…I know," she whispered, nervous in the presence of the man she was dreaming about only seconds before. "I was just…caught off guard."

"It's alright," he breathed, pushing himself off her bed and leaning back on his fists to crack his back. "Even though your bed is super comfortable, I should probably get home and get ready for work."

"Oh," Brennan murmured, her eyes falling to her lap momentarily, soft disappointment in her voice. "Okay then."

"Do you need a ride to the lab or are you not going in today?" Booth asked, his eyes slightly curious when she spoke, but now darkening to complete sadness as he thought about not seeing her on their paperwork days.

"I think I'm going to take a couple days off," she answered, tilting her head in confusion as she saw Booth's demeanor change. "Is that okay?"

"It's fine Bones, and even if it wasn't, I couldn't stop you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Bones, I've learned that you're going to do whatever you want to do, and I know I have a very slim chance of changing your mind. I learned that a long time ago, and the fact still hasn't changed," Booth ranted off, walking out of her bedroom and moving to the couch to lace up his shoes.

Brennan quickly followed after him, and came to stand in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why are you so upset about my decision to take some time off, Booth? You suggested the idea in the first place."

"I suggested maybe a week off Bones, going to a beach, lying in the sun, not fully giving up murder and your life here," he growled, standing up and stalking to her table, grabbing his leather jacket and snapping it from the back of the chair.

"Booth, please explain your reasoning. I find that I'm failing to understand why you're so upset."

"Because Bones! You're my best friend. My partner! And…other things, BUT it doesn't matter what the hell happens between us, you should still have enough trust in me to talk to me instead of fully bailing out of our partnership and leaving me forever," Booth spat, his hands fisting as his full body tensed.

"Me talk to you? Booth, you came to my apartment last night, your face streaked with tears and you wouldn't even begin to tell me why," she shot back, her hands facing palm upwards in desperation.

"Because I know you don't want to hear what I said. My mortality is a sore subject for you since Pam shot me, and it's still a sore subject, especially with the Gravedigger's trial. And last night, my mortality was questioned, and like I said, the last thing I want you to do is pity me."

"How exactly, was your mortality questioned?"

"You know, I'm done. I refuse to speak further on this unless you are absolutely sure you want to leave," Booth said, walking to her apartment door and pulling it open, turning on his heels at the last second, and looking her dead in the eyes. "But I warn you now, if you decide you want to go, and leave this partnership forever, don't expect me to accept that easily."

Brennan tried calling Booth multiple times around noon, to try and make nice and ask if he would like to go out to lunch, but he didn't answer his phone. Knowing that Booth wasn't the pouting type, she assumed he was either in a meeting, or something was wrong.

Rushing to the J. Edgar Hoover building, she made her way to the floor of the agent offices, making her way down the hall towards Booth's office before she saw Charlie walking towards her, and she called out his name.

"Hey Dr. Brennan, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Booth," Brennan said, crossing her arms casually over her chest "But he hasn't picked up my calls, and I don't know where he is."

"He's downstairs in the gym. He seemed pretty pissed so the guys invited him for a game of basketball. Well, you know how calm he is after playing some sort of sport," Charlie explained.

"Yes, with the increased endorphins released into the body during physical exercise, the exercised body is always calmer," she rationalized, nodding once. "Thanks Charlie," she finally spoke, turning on her heel and walking to the elevator, slipping between the doors, and pressing the button for the basement.

"Come on! Let's see that Seeley Booth jump shot!" Brennan heard one of the agents yell, once the multiple sounds of scuffing shoes against basketball court floors lowered considerably.

But Brennan stopped when she reached the court, her breath leaving her quickly as she took in the sight before her.

Half of the players were shirtless, Booth being one of those players, but with him poised in the air, muscles gleaming from sweat under the multiple gymnasium lights, Brennan was once again reminded how attractive she thought he was.

He seemed to hold himself in the air, a basketball leaving his hand as his wrist flicked and his arms were directed towards the basketball hoop at the far end of the gym. The orange ball fell through the net easily, and his fellow team mates called out happily.

"48 to 35 suckers!" one of the agents called out in the swarm of people running towards the other end of the gym. "One more shot and we win baby!"

A man Brennan barely recognized tried to shoot from far away, but missed completely and one of the shirtless agents grabbed and held the ball over his head.

"Down here!" Booth yelled, bolting to the other end of the gym, and catching the ball near the foul shot line when his team mate pelted the ball down the court. Booth cockily jogged forward only two steps before jumping up and slamming the ball into the net, holding onto the rim and flexing his muscles when he pulled himself up, and jumped away, being surrounded by his team.

"Hey Booth!" one of the agents called, nodding towards Brennan. "You're girlfriend's here!"

"I told you for the last time Caster, she's not my girlfriend, she's my partner," Booth growled, slapping his hand across Caster's head, before he jogged over to Bones, whose eyes were considerably darker. "Bones, what's up?"

"Why are you shirtless?" Brennan asked, her voice holding a breathy tone he never heard before.

"It's a shirts and skins basketball game Bones," he explained, turning his fingers towards his uncovered chest. "Obviously, I'm on the 'Skins' team."

"Oh, okay," she whispered, before shaking her head and looking at the commotion the guys were making on the other side of the court, trying to pelt the ball into the net from the half court line. "God this is like high school gym class all over again."

"Yes it is, helps take the mind off things. Did you need something? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just wanted to call and see if you wanted to go out to lunch, get away from the paperwork, but you didn't answer your phone, and assumed something might be wrong, so I came down here and Charlie told me you were down here playing basketball. I now see your immense skill, especially when it comes to a 'jump shot' and whatever you just did there," Brennan ranted on, a crooked smile on her face as she anthropologically broke down the game in her eyes.

"It's called a dunk Bones, I dunked the ball, and sure, I'd love to get away from this place, but where are we going to go? Founding Fathers or the Diner?"

"You can decide that," Brennan said "I'll pay, you can choose where you want to eat."

"Aw, that's sweet Bones. Just give me a few minutes to clean up and we'll head to the Diner," Booth nodded, clapping his hands and turning around. "Guys give it up, you can't launch the ball!" he screamed, standing at baseline and clapping again, an unknown agent throwing a ball to Booth.

Booth breathed deeply and tossed the ball in his hand, loosening his arm and backing to the wall before he stepped forward and shot the ball down the court, sinking the ball easily, and shooting his arms into the air in triumph.

"See Bones!" Booth yelled, walking backwards towards the locker rooms "THAT is why I would have gone all the way."

"You probably shouldn't do that again Booth; it could be very detrimental to your previous shoulder injury."

"Why aren't you eating Bones?" Booth asked quietly, purposely leaving out some of his fries for her.

"I just, find I'm not as hungry as I thought I was going to be," Brennan whispered, her fork held loosely in her hand as she chased a piece of lettuce around her plate.

"Bones you hardly ate anything," he murmured, picking up one of his French fries and making the sound of an airplane as he dived the fried potato through the air, before making it still before her face. "I even saved French fries for you."

She smiled and opened her mouth, allowing Booth to feed the French fry to her, a shiver running down her spine as his fingers brushed against her lower lip; his pinky shooting out and catching the ketchup that landed at the corner of her mouth.

He smirked and brought his finger to his mouth, sucking the digit between his lips and allowing the Bones seasoned ketchup to explode on his tongue.

Her breathing became shaky, and despite the shot to her libido, Brennan laughed and shook her head. "You're crazy," she murmured, looking down to her plate once again.

"Bones, what's on your mind?" Booth whispered, dipping another French fry in ketchup before bringing it to her lips again.

She opened her mouth again and ate the fry gently, his fingers once again brushing against her lips, but this time, ketchup didn't find a spot in the corner of her mouth.

She allowed him to feed her, but eventually she had to stop, and shake her head when he tried offering her another French fry. Her insides seemed to be on fire, and her fingers curled against the table top, confusion making its presence even more known.

"Now, please, tell me, what's going on Bones? What's bothering that big brain of yours?"

"I'm just thinking," Brennan whispered, shaking her head and nervously dancing her nails across the top of the table top. "I have so much on my mind lately I don't really know what to think anymore."

"Talking helps," Booth whispered, reaching across and resting his hand comfortingly over hers.

She smirked, and her fingers brushed against the bottom of his hand. She sighed and looked down to her still nervously tapping fingers, a gentle shrug in her shoulders. "I don't really know what to talk about."

"Come on Bones, let's get out of here. Take a walk. Help clear your mind," Booth offered, picking up another fry and feeding it to her.

"Alright," Brennan muttered, moving to pull money from her pocket, but Booth tugged on her hand.

"Let me buy this time, and later tonight I'll personally treat you to your favorite ice cream to make you feel better, then later, as a deal, you can make me your famous Mac and cheese," he whispered, smiling his charm smile and feeling the tension in his chest lighten when that beautiful lop sided grin he loved graced her features.

"Fine," she agreed, standing up and throwing a few bills on the table. "But I'll still get the tip."

"Deal Bones, let's go," Booth said, paying the bill and holding the door open for her before he rested his hand on her lower back and guided her to the monumental parks.

"Hey Booth," Brennan whispered, reaching out and resting her hand on his arm, stopping them in front of the Lincoln Memorial steps.

"What is it Bones?" Booth asked, bringing the ice cream cone to his mouth and licking up some of the organic ice cream made from rice.

"Can we sit here," she asked, pointing to the setting sun "Watch the sunset?"

He smiled and nodded, walking up the steps closely until they sat on their normal step, and watched as the pale orange sky began to elaborate itself with pinks and reds and yellows.

Their shoulders and knees brushed like normal, and they laughed once their ice cream started melting and covered their hands, trying desperately to lick up the concoction before it became sticky against their hands, but as the sun started dipping under the horizon, and the sky erupted with purple, pink, orange, yellow, red, and blue they were silent, looking at the phenomenon while stealing glances of each other.

Angela's words echoed in her mind once again, and she found herself breathless as the colors danced before her eyes, and the scent of his cologne seemed to intoxicate her, once again.

It really was beautiful, and she never saw it like this before. Sure she had watched the sunsets, sometimes in the most beautiful corners of the world, but no experience could compare to the sunset she was observing at this moment, with her partner, and best friend at her side.

A tear dropped from her eye and she quickly stood up, walking down the marble steps while Booth ran after her, gasping when his hand caught her wrist, and spun her around to face him.

"Bones, Shh, what's wrong?" he whispered, holding her face in his hands and using his thumbs to tenderly wipe away her tears.

"I…I just, can't…Booth no," she cried, grabbing his hands and tearing them from her face. "I need to just get away from everything and think. I'm too confused here."

"Why are you confused? We haven't even said a word to each other, what are you confused about?"

"You have physically disrupted my thinking process. You've imposed yourself too much upon me and it's scaring me. I just…need away from this…here…"

"Me?" Booth asked, making sure to not move his arms and have to break the contact of Brennan's hold on his wrists.

"Yes." Brennan stated defiantly, her eyes widening slightly as his eyes lowered in sadness. "I don't understand what is happening, and I'll never figure it out if you're always around, screwing up my thinking."

He sighed and his shoulders fell, his wrists tearing from her grip, before he stepped back and nodded, looking up at her and biting his lower lip. "I've got it Bones. You've been working on this for about a month now anyway. Alright, I'm done. I'm done trying to break down your walls of rationality. If you want to talk to me, you know my number."

Hurt was slamming in her ears with her heart and the first question that popped into her mind, left her mouth. "But…what if I want to see you?"

"Well Bones, I don't know where I'm ever going to be now, so like you, I'm not going to make any promises," he whispered, stepping forward and resting the palm of his hand against her cheek before he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, turning and walking away, leaving Brennan in a confused daze, barely able to see, with tears still trekking down her face.


	21. Let's Just Be Happy

**An: A filler no less, but a sad/kinda cute happy filler. It works until the finale I suppose. So enjoy until then! :)**

* * *

Brennan returned to her apartment with the feeling as if she wasn't alive; a dead woman walking in essence.

Sadness and confusion settled hard in her chest, and she felt completely weak as she stumbled into her apartment and closed the door gently behind her.

Her breathing only consisted of deep inhalations and long sighs as she traveled back into her bedroom and immediately climbed into her shower.

She washed herself with slow, tired movements, and when she stepped into the congested room, and almost fell to the ground when her knees locked under her, and the water under her feet disrupted her balance; but in the end, she didn't care.

She felt completely off kilter. Disrupted and damaged, and she didn't understand why. She was the one who pushed him away from her, so why was she the one hurting so terribly?

Temperance Brennan never understood relationships. She didn't understand love, and she didn't understand that feeling of pure joy to just stare into that single person's eyes…

She felt it…but she didn't understand it.

She needed to understand, but no matter who she went to, she couldn't get the solid, clear answers that she needed, but she blamed that more on the fact that love, other than its hormone chemistry, was unrelated to science.

She needed an out, some time away, from everything. She needed to return to her roots, to analyze who she was, and who she has become; and most importantly, how she got there. Maybe then, and only then, will she begin to comprehend the mass of confusion around her at this moment.

The next day, on Sunday at 6:30 in the morning, she was hard at work, already in limbo graced in her blue lab coat with her eyes on the abnormal humerus she held in her fingers.

She knew nobody would be looking for her on this day, and that fact not only relieved her, but saddened her at the same time.

She felt as if she had thrown Booth completely from her life, and no matter how desperately she wanted to arrive on his door steps and wrap her arms around him, she knew she couldn't, and probably never should again.

She was his partner, his friend, and he was hers; they weren't meant to be anything more…

"Even I think that sounds pathetic," she whispered to herself, placing the bone down on the examination table, and snapping her gloves off before slowly making her way upstairs, and into her office.

She sat in front of her computer, and searched through her email, one in particular catching her eye.

It was from a friend of hers in Indonesia. He said they found a human body that might be a crucial link in the chain of evolution, and he wondered if she would be interested in coming for a year to study with other anthropologists on the team. She of course would be the most qualified, and would head the entire analysis.

This was her roots. She was an anthropologist before he walked into her life, and she missed the emotionless feeling of looking at a 5,000 year old body and only wondering how his or her life was, and not who took it.

Seeing so many people in pain over murder was unbearable to her recently, and seeing Taffet's face once again, terrorized her, and made her rethink everything she has ever done.

She was too linked to people. She had too many connections, and she didn't want to break them, but she needed to be in a certain field where those connections wouldn't cloud her rational mind, and make her feel, more rather than use her brain.

She needed out, and this was her open door.

She accepted it without hesitation.

Booth decided not to push her, and if she wanted space, he would give it to her.

If she wanted to talk to him, she could call him, and if she wanted to see him, she can try and find him; but he sure as hell wouldn't be able to stay cooped up in his house with only her on his mind for the whole day.

He decided to go for a run, and did his usual 3 miles around the city before returning, and taking a quick shower.

He went out with a couple of his friends, had lunch, and played football in the park, until he found himself alone again, and he ended up at the ice rink.

He took his hockey stick and brought a puck of his to work on his slap shots, gliding easily on the ice and slamming the wood so hard into the black discus that he almost thought the wood was going to shatter.

But nothing broke, and he found that angering, until eventually he threw the hockey stick to the other side of the rink, and punched the Plexiglas with a large burst of force that surprised himself.

He turned, and fell to the ice, sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees as he stared across into the seats and shook his head. He didn't know what he was doing, and he couldn't seem to find anything to get his mind off of her.

He wanted to see her, but he was adamant on letting her make the first move.

'_One big mistake after the other you fuck up'_

She found herself staring at her phone for long periods of time through her work day, and even though she was uninterrupted like she knew she would be, she would always glance to the sliding doors in hope that Booth would walk him, but he never did.

Her fingers wrapped around the device, and she slowly pushed the button that Booth was reserved on, his number sliding in front of her before she placed the speaker to her ear, and listened to the monotone rings that seemed to her like some kind of warning.

"Hello?" he asked gruffly, his voice deep and ragged, a sure sign something was on his mind.

"Hi Booth," Brennan whispered softly, running her fingers nervously over the end of her shirt. "I was wondering if maybe…I could order us some Chinese, and you can come to the lab, and have lunch with me."

She sounded stupid to herself, and she wanted to repeatedly beat herself in the head, but she practically heard the smile dripping from his voice.

"Sure Bones, I'll be there."

Somehow, the Chinese was there before he was, and she carried the white box top into her office before she started sorting food out on two plates.

Too engrossed in the food, she didn't hear him walk in, but jumped, and almost flung rice everywhere once his arms circled her waist, and he pulled her back into his chest.

The touch was extremely intimate and she felt herself getting dizzy. She stammered when she spoke, but through the blush and the slowing of her thinking process, she extremely enjoyed having his arms around her. "B-Booth, w-what are you doing?"

"I feel you slipping away more and more each day Temperance," he whispered, his voice full of tears as his cheek rested against her shoulder. "I felt the need to hug you now, instead of wait until it's too late."

Her throat started to hurt as the muscles tightened, and a small drop of water fell from her eye. She rested her hand over his intertwined ones, and instead of turning and pushing him away, she allowed him to have the moment he needed, but when her head tilted and rested against his, her eyes closed and she whispered only four words that Booth knew weren't going to come true.

"Let's just be happy…"


	22. 364 Days

**An: Bittersweet, is the only way to describe the finale. I loved it, and my English teacher are discussing it on facebook now. Bahaha! Read slowly, this might be a little confusing if you blaze through it.**

* * *

She had never seen Dr. Brennan so upset in her life, and even though she tried to not shed tears, she knew that at moments when she wasn't looking, she allowed one or two to drop to her hands, which she cleared away quickly before she focused on the computer in front of her.

And like she had expected, when everyone else was asleep, she was still up, staring with a ghostly intention towards this document she had been typing and staring at for almost six hours now.

"Dr. Brennan," Daisy whispered, obviously startling the anthropologist out of some reverie.

"Yes, Miss Wick?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because, you've been crying since we boarded the plane," she explained, leaning against the arm rest and into the aisle. "Is everything fine with you and Agent Booth?"

"There is nothing to not be fine about," Brennan said, turning her attention back to her computer and quickly running her fingers across her cheek, her tears glistening against her skin in the light of her computer.

Daisy sighed and sat back "Lancelot and I broke up…"

"Miss Wick…"

"It's either hear my sob story or tell me yours," Daisy immediately said, turning her eyes towards her hero and immediately noticing her widened eyes, knowing that the demand in her voice was very uncharacteristic, but she held.

Brennan sighed and nodded towards the seat next to her, and Daisy quickly stood and moved to sit beside her.

"You are probably aware by now that I left not only to find an immediate purpose in what I do but to also gain perspective-"

"Perspective about your relationship with Agent Booth?"

"I would appreciate, that if you want to hear the full story you will not interrupt me," Brennan asked, her voice holding a tinge of spite, but when she saw understanding and underlying pity in Daisy's eyes, she felt infuriated, and depressed.

"I'm sorry Dr. Brennan," the intern whispered, noticing that the document Brennan was typing earlier was minimized. "Go ahead."

She took in a shaky breath and found her hands shaking in her lap. "As you are probably aware by now," she continued again "I accepted this offer not only for the scientific and career benefit, but because it offered a way to gain perspective of the importance of what I do, and to recognize my standing with Agent Booth."

"I told Angela that, murder is never going to stop, and in essence my time is worthlessly spent. And I also confided to her that I am tired of always being worried. I'm tired of waking up in the morning with the fear that I'll turn around and there will be a murderer with a gun, aiming at Booth and…and I'm too incompetent or scared or…disabled to try and stop it. I'm tired of not knowing where I stand with him at this point…but I'm, mostly too scared to face his mortality."

"That's not the Dr. Brennan I know," Daisy offered, smiling gently and shrugging her shoulder "but then again, I don't want to know a Dr. Brennan who isn't like the woman sitting beside me now."

"I…don't know what that means."

"Yes you do. You're a genius remember?" the eager girl said, smiling and standing up to curl her legs under her comfortably. "Would you like me to explain my thinking?"

"Please…"

"Well, as I've heard the others observe, you've changed a lot from when you first met Booth. You've become more…human. Am I correct?"

"Well I've gained better insight into human interaction and reasoning if that is what you mean," Brennan offered, her eyes trained and intent on her student beside her.

"Yes, that's what I mean. And if you can read how others feel, then you should be able to know what you feel. Easily. Everyone knows what they feel."

"I don't," Brennan admitted, looking to her lap and wringing her hands together. "I find I've made compartmentalization a habit, in turn taking knowledge away from me on how to identify emotions."

"Well, then why don't you listen to everyone else around you?" Daisy asked "It's obvious you two love each other. We all noticed how quickly you were trying to wrap up this case to try and run away from each other."

"I can't listen to someone and accept their reasoning when I don't understand how they reached their conclusion. Besides, this trip is strictly dated and, you were right," she whispered, looking to her lap. "We're holding each other back."

"But now you've let each other go…and how do you feel?"

"Like this, too, is worthless."

"Why?"

"I mostly wanted to get away so that I would stop worrying about him," Brennan said; her voice now on the edge of choking sobs, her eyes becoming glossy and clogged with tears. "But now he's going to Afghanistan and I find I'm still worried about him. Like you said, he's a warrior by nature. He's a hero, he'll put his life on the line for anyone, and Afghanistan is so dangerous right now, I don't want him to do that at the wrong time and…" tears worked freely from her eyes and Daisy reached out, resting her hand on Brennan's forearm, her thumb working against her shirt soothingly. "I'm just scared that I'm going to get letter, or email that says he is dead. His death printed in words as if they could care less that he is gone."

"Dr. Brennan. You have to realize now that you're never going to stop worrying about him," Daisy offered quietly, squeezing Brennan's arm once again. "You two work in dangerous environments and when you really care about someone, you never stop worrying about them."

"But that's what I want to stop doing," Brennan stated desperately, sniffling hard and blinking to force away more tears. "That's what I need to stop doing…"

"It's never going to happen," she whispered in return, rubbing her arm gently before standing up and moving back to her seat. "I'd advise you try and get some sleep Dr. Brennan. We're going to have a big day tomorrow."

Brennan watched as the intern pushed her seat back and brought the sleeping mask over her face, but in the end Brennan's eyes turned back to her computer and she hesitantly pulled up the tantalizing document.

"_We need to stop this," I pleaded desperately, unfortunate tears gathering in my eyes that pissed me off more, along with making me feel pitiful._

"_Stop what Kathy?" he asked, his tone hard; like when he would interrogate a suspect. Was that what I was to him now? Just a suspect? Not his friend, or his partner, just a suspect?_

"_We're pulling each other back Andy, it's evident to even my eyes. We need to just stop and let go," I try and resolve this by moving towards my apartment door, a small jolt of electricity flowing up my spine as I realized that the door only made it two inches open, before a strong tanned hand slammed it closed._

"_Maybe I'm pulling you back so that you don't leave," his voice was a whisper in my ear, his hot breath brushing against my skin and sending my mind into a dizzying free-for-all. "Maybe I'm trying to pull you back as far as I can, so that maybe you'll turn around and realize why I'm not letting you go."_

_I turned in that instant, and found a fire in his eyes I had never seen before. Settled under chocolate irises was molten lava, and I instantly felt all hope of breathing disappear. Under unreadable eyes, I realized what he wanted. I recognized that look in his eyes._

_It was the same one I had in my own whenever I thought of him, and happened to be looking at myself in the mirror._

_His hand rose and his fingers brushed against my skin, my own hand raising and touching the trail in an irrational fear that my skin was burned._

_But my skin was only heated, and I felt my back fully press back against my door, his body coming to hover over me as his hand continued to trail back until his fingers entangled in my hair, and I shakily gained back the ability to breathe._

_My hands came to his chest, but I immediately regretted that decision, because one second my palms were against his defined pectorals, and the next they were holding onto my each of my arms, which were wrapped tight around his neck, to elevate me enough to keep hold of the contact of our lips._

Somehow the plane ride had lulled her to sleep, and Brennan awoke an hour before they were to land in Indonesia. Daisy was already up reading through a magazine and taking animatedly with an older woman sitting beside her.

"Oh! Good morning Dr. Brennan!"

"To early Miss Wick," Brennan groaned, sitting up and rubbing her head, taking the coffee the stewardess offered her thankfully, placing her sugar and cream in the cup to her liking.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I slept as well as I imagine I could have under my current circumstances."

"She's having relationship problems with her partner," Daisy said to the woman beside her, who simply nodded and smiled gently, looking at Brennan and waving.

Brennan returned the wave, and reclined back, closing her eyes against the pounding headache she had as she sipped her coffee and took a deep breath, recollecting her thoughts.

Unable to begin to think, she opened up her email, using the Wi-Fi connecter chip that allowed her to gain internet access anywhere she was.

Most was spam, but she tilted her head in confusion when an unfamiliar email address sent her an email, the subject being the single point that sold her. _"Bones!"_

She opened the email, and smiled, chocking softly on the air she took into her lungs as she read through the message, her eyes lighting up with happiness that brought a smile to Daisy's eyes.

'_Bones!_

_Thought I'd let you know that this is my new email address while I'm in Afghanistan. I know you're on your plane, or probably already buried in work with your skeletor mumbo jumbo, but seeing as how I don't know how long I'll be in a office during my time, let alone be on a computer, I thought I'd at least give you the updated address for my attention._

_At this moment, I'm at the base, but my plane is going to be here in less than 20 minutes. I hope you had a safe and relaxing flight, Miss Rolex!_

_Stay Safe Bones. I'll hold up my end of the deal, if you hold up yours._

_-Love Booth_

_P.S. 364 days :)'_

A tear of happiness slipped down her cheek, and she leaned back with her coffee clasped between her hands. She smiled at the message over her cup and brought some of the hot liquid down her throat. "364 days," she whispered out loud quietly.


	23. Your Voice Is A Secret Lullaby

**An: Remember my deal here people. This followed to the finale, and now the reigns are in my hand. ;) And yes, the reigns are in only ONE hand so I can use the other to conduct the romance to come soon. ;) Prepare for the chemical reaction to reach it's height! :)**

* * *

"I think Booth has a woman on his mind," one of Booth's trainees teased, smirking at his teacher.

"Really Watson?" Booth asked, leaning back in his chair and bringing his hands behind his head casually. "Why do you think that?"

"Well after training you always race to the computer and I'm pretty sure you aren't checking the Flyers scores," Watson stated, earning a chuckle from the other men in the tent as he pulled a tan shirt over his head, and tucked the ends into his camouflage uniform pants.

"The thought that I have a kid ever cross your mind?"

"Yes Sir, but you also cross off days on that little calendar of yours and murmur in your sleep. Permission to ask a question sir."

"Granted."

"How many days left until you see your girl?"

Booth looked at him and laughed, shaking his head before he finally relented and answered his question. "245 days, but she isn't my girl, she's my partner and my best friend."

"Oh," the group of men said in unison; one tall, blonde soldier smirking in the back of the group. "Got any pictures on that computer of yours?"

"Barcus, I do, but I'll only show them to you if you men promise to remain respectful. One word of disrespect towards the picture of my partner and you'll be running the base. Am I clear?"

Boots clapped together and hands rose over their right eyebrows in salute; exclaiming "Yes sir!" strongly.

Booth smiled and opened up the pictures on his computer, pulling up the scan of them sitting together outside of her father's trial, their smiles directed only to each other as they held their coffee cups up to his their moving lips.

"She..." a man began, with dark black hair and a thick southern accent "Is a very pretty lady...very pretty."

"She's in Indonesia right now, working with some body that is supposed to be a huge link in the chain of evolution. She's brilliant..."

"Man!" Watson yelled, shaking his head and reaching up to touch the top of the tent "You've got it bad for your 'partner'."

Booth shrugged, shaking his head and running his hands through his hair. "Our relationship is...complicated at best."

"Ever just try and tell her how you feel?" another soldier asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, but it didn't end as well as I planned. It's alright though, I'm confident that the chips will fall in their place and this bullshit we've put each other through will be worth it," Booth sighed before standing up "How about we go get something to eat boys?"

"Yes sir," they called out of habit and moved from the tent as the lunch bell rang through the base. Booth stayed back though for a moment, and smiled as he read through her email, before closing his laptop and taking a deep breath.

"245 more days..."

"Dr. Brennan! Are you coming to the beach?" Daisy asked, her large floppy hat falling over her eyes.

"Miss Wick, I don't go to the beach at this time of day. I burn too easily. I prefer to go when the sun is close to setting," Brennan explained, holding up one of the bones of the hominid creature closer to her eyes.

"I have SPF 50 sun screen."

"I apologize Miss Wick but it's too detrimental to my skin to go out to the beach at this time," she pushed off, placing the bone down and stripping off her gloves. "I also have an appointment in a few minutes."

"Appointment? Where? Why?"

"In town, I find my hair becoming bothersome with its extensive length. I'm having it cut off," Brennan explained, sliding the white lab coat off her shoulder and draping it over her arm.

"Oh! What is it going to look like?" Daisy asked excitedly, bouncing where she stood.

Brennan shot her a look and shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know yet. I find it best for me to browse through the books they have at the salons before having my hair done. And if I find nothing I like, I usually have the hair stylists do whatever they want."

"I couldn't let anyone do that with my hair," Daisy muttered, running her fingers through her hair slowly.

"Well, that's a difference between us, which there is obviously many since no person can be exactly like the other. I suggest putting sun screen mostly on your shoulders and nose, that's where the sun will directly hit first, and they'll burn the worst if they aren't properly protected," she said before departing from the building and going to the car she was given.

She drove back to her hotel, and deposited her lab coat, grabbing up her phone and her purse before heading into the city, and going to the more expensive hair salon she had her appointment at.

She said hello to the woman sitting at the desk, and told her she was there for her appointment, going to sit in the chairs to flip through the books and found a style she thought was pleasing. She visually placed herself in the face of the model, and she thought the bangs and short length would work fine with her facial structure.

She showed the picture to the woman who came to get her, and a smile broke out on the woman's face.

"It's going to look beautiful," she assured, committing the look to memory before taking Brennan into the back.

She ended up liking her new hair, and Daisy showed her appreciation multiple octaves higher than she probably should, but no less, Brennan took the flattering compliments and nodded her head in thanks.

It took her awhile to get used to her bangs sitting over her eye brows, and she found herself pushing the strands of hair where they belonged through the rest of the day, but by the time she reached the ocean, and the wind whipped through her hair, she didn't mind anymore.

She settled in the sand, her arms wrapped around her knees as she watched the waves crash peacefully against the sand, and watched as the sun began to disappear behind the horizon.

She smiled and felt a pang of sadness in her chest as she remembered sitting with Booth, watching the sunset on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and she reminded herself once again how much she missed him.

She remembered the way the sun's last rays seemed to light up his face, and she remembered the sparkle in his deep chocolate eyes as the discus receded from sight, and she wished so much to hear his voice, instead of read his words in a simple email.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she brought it to her ear without looking at the number. "Brennan," she said into the line, her mind elsewhere.

"Bones! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Booth asked, leaning against the wall where the phone was, the device held loosely to his ear.

"Booth," she whispered, smiling and laughing gently "Wha-how can you call me?"

"Well, the boys thought it would be nice to let us have a phone call now. We were having some problems with insurgents trying to tap into our phone records, so we weren't able to make personal calls anywhere. But now that that's over with, I can call you every once in a while," Booth explained, smiling as he heard the pure joy at hearing his voice.

"How have you been?" Brennan asked softly, smiling as she ran her fingers through the warm sand she was sitting in.

"I've been fine. I haven't shot at anyone, and no one has shot at me," he said, "I'm staying safe. How about you? Isn't the sun setting there?"

"Yes, I'm watching it, it's only a little before four there right?"

"Correct my little clock," he teased, happiness in his heart as he listened to her soft chuckle. "How have you been Bones? Anything exciting happening with your skeleton?"

"The skeleton in itself is exciting Booth," Brennan reasoned, resisting the urge to burst into a full explanation of the happenings over the last 4 months.

"We only have 8 more months Bones," Booth sighed with a smile. "I can't wait till I get to see you again. I really miss you."

"I miss you Booth, I find my days feel quite empty without you when I'm not working."

"I'm surprised I caught you in the first place. I would have thought you would be working until you dropped dead from exhaustion," he said, laughing softly.

"Now even though my work here is exciting, I wouldn't work myself to death."

"I highly doubt that."

"Booth," another soldier said, pointing at his watch, and Booth nodded sadly.

"I have to get off here Bones."

"So soon?" she asked quietly, her arms tightening around her legs as she felt loneliness creeping closer to her again.

"Yeah, the others need the phone too. I'll make sure to call you whenever I can. Keep yourself safe Bones."

"I will, and Booth."

"Yeah?"

"Please…just…do the same."

"I will," he chuckled with a smile "Night Bones."

"Good night Booth," she finished, closing her phone and looking out to the darkened sun, a pale white strip being the only remembrance of the sun's presence. She stood and brushed the sand off her, before she turned and walked back to her hotel room. The sun set early in Maluku and she found wasn't tired, so she decided to sit outside on the balcony and work on her book for a while, until she moved to her bed and fell asleep remembering the sound of his voice.


	24. Daffodils and Daisies

**An: Hahah, this chapter = epic win in my opinion. Especially with the almost 4,000 word count. YAY LONG CHAPTERS OF BRENNAN-NESS WITH CUTE BBNESS AT THE END FOR THE WIN! WOOOO!**

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She was never fond of this day when it rolled around, but waking up to the shining Indonesian sun, with the smell and sound of the ocean floating through her window, she couldn't help but awake with a smile.

Her smiled faltered though, once she looked over and found herself alone, a deep sigh leaving her lips as she closed her eyes, and brushed away the post sleeping tears.

So many nights she had imagined waking up to that perfect white morning, the soft sheets bunched at her hips as her body was pressed to the bare chest of her partner, his breathing soft against her neck as his hand rested against the skin of her back, revealed by her disheveled tank top.

But like every other morning, she woke only to herself, but the sadness that settled within her didn't stop her, and she got up for her day, looking at the rising sun a little longer than usual, before she pulled her casual clothes on, and ran through her routine.

She brushed out her hair and brushed her teeth before she rubbed sun screen over every point of exposed skin. She slipped her flats on and slid her key and cell phone into her pockets, making her way down to the dining hall where the rest of her team waited happily.

"Happy Birthday Dr. Brennan!" they all called once she entered and she smiled, shaking her head.

"Guys, what is this?"

"Well, I remembered that today was your birthday," Daisy jumped in "And I thought it would be nice to have a small breakfast together for you to remind you that we remembered before actually having your birthday dinner tonight."

Brennan smiled and felt a warming sensation in her chest, and she crossed her arms against the feeling. She stepped forward and brought her arms around the intern, smiling and hugging her tightly before stepping back and nodding thankfully, her eyes holding a shine her colleagues had never seen before. "Thank you Daisy."

Daisy stood dumbfounded, but soon nodded and smiled. "It's nothing Dr. Brennan," she brushed off, a surprised smile still on her lips.

"No, it's a lot," she assured, squeezing Daisy's arm softly before moving to the table and accepting the happy birthday hugs from the others. She sat at the table and leaned forward on her elbows, engaging the others in conversation before they distributed food and talked while they ate.

They laughed and talked more than ate, bringing them all to become full with minimal food consumption. They sat back in their chairs and Brennan brought her bare, short covered legs under her, leaning back in the comfortable wicker chair and allowing the soft ocean breeze to flow through the windows and brush through her hair. Eventually the sun reached a peeking point and Brennan stood up, stretching her arms over her head before resting her hands on her hips. "We should probably get some work done today."

"Eh, it's your birthday, you're allowed to take some time off," Lorelei said, clapping her hand over her shoulder. Lorelei and Brennan had been friends for years, and she had first met the sarcastic ball of beauty when she was called to examine a body in Argentina. Lorelei was tall, thin and had shoulder length, straight, dark brown hair. Brennan thought she was oddly beautiful, but Lorelei never flaunted her beauty, and usually undermined it.

"Lorrie, you can always find an excuse for taking time off," Brennan teased, shooting the comment over her shoulder as her friend moved towards the large doors leading up to the rooms.

"Yes and my striking personality somehow helps me get those days of relaxation."

"Or maybe it's just the fact everyone knows you would go on a killing spree if you couldn't get away for a few days."

"That too."

The group laughed and shook their heads sadly stretching from their relaxed state and moving towards their rooms. "Daisy, you and Rissa Jo are going to be with me today in the morgue," Brennan said, doing her usual job of distributing the assistants while the other heads of the investigation moved to get their supplies from their room. "Lakyn, you and Charlie are going to go back out with Lorelei and Joshua to collect more samples and artifacts."

Charlie laughed and shook his head "That's going to be entertaining," he huffed; before he nodded to his partner for the day and took the doors outside, moving to the vans they would be riding in.

"What did he mean by that?" Daisy asked once Charlie and Lakyn had disappeared and Brennan started making her way up to her room.

Rissa Jo smirked and laughed. She was an interesting character with straight dirty blonde hair that fell beautifully around her face. She had a bubbly personality that everyone found addicting, and even though she resisted normality with a bull ring piercing in her nose, and a monroe piercing above her lip, Daisy considered her to be one of the kindest and most insightful people she had ever met.

"Dude," she said immediately, laughing as the knowledge behind the other assistant's words crossed her mind. "Lorrie and Josh are brother and sister. Lorrie's the oldest so she's a total shit head and every time she goes out with her brother, they end up wrestling in the water or having a sand fight. It's a good time man."

Lorelei coughed from behind Rissa Jo and playfully threw her hand across the intern's head. "I'm not a shit head," she stated forcefully, before a large smile crossed her face. "I'm a mischievous evil genius."

"Come on Lorrie, we should get going," Josh said, walking down stairs and standing next to his sister, allowing Daisy to finally see the striking resemblances between the two.

"Alright, but I get to drive."

"Lorelei, we all know you can't drive."

"I'm a great driver."

"No you're not."

"She gets into the music man," Rissa Jo hopped in, smiling and pounding fists with Lorelei. "Don't hate."

"Tempe! Can't I take this one?" Lorelei whined, pointing to Rissa Jo "She understands me."

Brennan smiled as she walked down stairs, bringing her lab coat over her shoulders while speaking. "No, I need her skills with me today. You can have her tomorrow though, and we can all have a little beach party tonight after dinner. You can get into trouble then and at least leave our investigation in one piece, unlike last time."

"That was a ploy!" Lorrie immediately screamed, pointing to her friend with a playful glimmer in her eyes. "The Brazilian Ambassador never liked me…"

"He couldn't roll with the times?" Rissa Jo asked, earning another fist bump from Lorelei.

"Nah man, too hung up."

Brennan had to admit, that after they had dinner and they all decided to run around on the beach that these people had become her family. They all fought and played around like they were living under the same roof for years, and the gentle pang of loneliness made its presence in her chest.

She never got to experience that fun with Russ, and truthfully, she missed spending her birthdays with Booth.

"BRE-NNAN!" Lorelei screeched, bumping shoulders with Rissa Jo, as if planning something evil. "If you don't get in the damn ocean I'm getting out and dragging your ass in here."

"Lorrie, I don't want too."

"Up! That's it!" she screamed, running out of the waves and bolting through the sand, Rissa Jo following after her and helping her snag the anthropologist. Brennan laughed and thrashed in their arms, but eventually Rissa Jo grabbed her feet and they ran towards the water, swinging Brennan in and giving each other a high five for their success.

Brennan laughed as she came back to the surface, and ran her fingers through her hair. She shook her head and ran through the waves, running after Lorelei, but the beautiful girl bolted down the beach, and easily evaded Brennan's grasp.

"How the hell are you that fast?" Brennan asked, once Lorelei laughed and trotted back to her, moving into the waves and diving into the warm water.

"I was a cross country champion and a state track champion for my whole four years of high school," Lorrie explained, smiling triumphantly and striking a pose most Greek soldiers were portrayed to stand it. "Go Spartans!"

Everyone shared a laugh and they came closer together against the ocean waves, Lorelei gaining an interested glint in her eyes. "What sports did everyone here play?"

Rissa Jo smiled and brought her arms over her head, arching her wrist as if pantomiming to shoot a basketball. "I fly high baby," she said "Varsity starter."

"Nice, so was I," Charlie said, running his hands through his water slicked black hair before brushing the water from under his green eyes. "And I played football."

Lakyn smiled and brought her bright red hair behind her ears "I was a cheerleader, and I was in my high school band."

Joshua smiled and stretched "Well I got you all beat. I played football, basketball, baseball, and soccer," his hair color darkened to the exact same black Lorrie's was.

"I never played any sports. I played tennis recreationally, but never anything for the high school," Brennan explained, looking over to Daisy for her addition.

"I didn't either; I was in multiple academic clubs, but no sports teams."

Lorrie smiled and shivered, standing up and shaking water off her arms "Alright, Brennan, we are all camping out in your room tonight, and we're going to play as many drinking games as we can' 'kay?"

"Lorelei!"

"Uh, I think Charlie and I are going to let you guys have a girls night," Joshua said, standing up and nodding to his assistant.

"Going to the strip club?" Rissa Jo piped in, smiling and raising her eye brows knowingly.

Joshua shrugged and walked from the waves, nodding to his sister "Ask her. She knows I've always lived like a Spartan. Money only wasted on women and wine."

The five girls laughed and they all moved from the cooling water, bringing their towels around their bodies and shielding them against the wind.

"Alright, Ris and I are going to go get all sorts of alcohol, Lakyn, Daisy and Bren, you all lay out blankets and make the room comfortable, and find cards, because I'm handing all of you your asses in Fuck The Dealer," Lorelei ordered, pulling her debit card out of nowhere and allowing her face to light up with an evil smile.

"Lorelei, you've drank with me before. You should know that no one can hold their alcohol better than I can," Brennan stated, pointing to herself with a large smile.

"True, I blame it on that liquid pot you told me you drank in India."

When Brennan, Daisy, and Lakyn had spread the comforters from Brennan's bed on the floor in front of the flat screen TV and placed pillows back against the couch, Rissa Jo and Lorelei stumbled into her room with their arms full of beer, wine, and other forms of alcohol.

They sat around in a circle and played different card games, taking their drinks at certain times through the game, before turning their entertainment to their other drunken companions.

"Okay okay, we drink every time Lakyn says the word 'like', "Lorelei said with a smile, laughing and nodding to the plastered intern.

"Uh, that's mean," Lakyn groaned, shaking her head and pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Like…seriously."

Everyone laughed and took a drink, Lakyn ruefully doing the same and shaking her head. "Like, this is so going to hurt in the morning, like, for real."

"We're fucked if we don't shut her up dude," Rissa Jo said to Lorelei, everyone in the group taking their two drinks and laughing against the buzz that vibrated through them all.

"Yeah dude, you should just, go to sleep," Lorelei groaned, stretching across the circle to press Lakyn back into a pillow.

"No, I know the bad stuff that happens to people who fall asleep first…like…DAMMIT!"

Brennan laughed and took her drink, her beer bottle empty and she moved towards the kitchen to get another. She stumbled back into the living room and sat down, slamming her elbow into a file of important papers, and sending them falling to the floor.

"Shit," she growled, placing the bottle away from her and gathering the papers, a small picture gaining Lorelei's attention.

"Who's this Bren? Did you get married and have a kid and not tell me? If so, your body snapped right back!"

She turned the picture towards Brennan and a smile was brought upon the anthropologist's face. She shook her head gently and popped open her beer before taking a gentle swig of the bitter, frothy liquid. "No, no that's my partner and his son."

"Is his son your son?"

"No, no," Brennan argued, shaking her head again. "He's just my little buddy."

"Are you and your partner romantically involved?"

The sad look that passed Brennan's face only lasted a second but Lorelei caught it, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "No," Brennan said again, shaking her head and bringing the beer bottle to her lips again. "We're just partners. We're just friends."

"Uh huh," Lorelei muttered, raising an eye brow to her friend and giving the picture back to her before turning to the group of drunken interns.

"I'm tired," Daisy muttered; who had since fallen over and was now resting against Lakyn's stomach.

"Like…me too," Lakyn said, sighing and drinking the last drops of her beer before sloppily placing it over on the coffee table and falling against the pillows. "'Kay I'm done."

Brennan laughed and threw a blanket over Daisy and Lakyn, who soon fell asleep after Lakyn's declaration, Rissa Jo in tow within the next 15 minutes.

Brennan made her way through her hotel room, throwing away all of the empty beer bottles and bringing in the fruity wine that Lorelei got for them once the interns dropped. They sat together, each with a wine glass in their hands, looking over the drunken, passed out interns.

"Do you miss him?"

"Huh?"

"The guy, in the picture, with the kid and the face," Lorelei enunciated, sharing an amused smile with Brennan as she flapped her hand in the direction where Brennan had placed the picture. "Do you miss him?"

Brennan sighed and took a deep drink of the fruity concoction, smiling weakly before nodding once. "Yeah, I really do."

"Where is he? In D.C.?"

"No, he went to Afghanistan the same day I came here."

"Afghanistan? Is he a soldier?"

"He used to be. He was in the Snipers and they called him back to train others in capturing insurgents, his official job as of now is an FBI homicide investigator, which is why he is my partner," Brennan explained, a lost look in her eyes that brought sadness to Lorelei.

"I'm sensing there's something more between you two then just being friends and partners."

She nodded and bit her lip, drowning her momentary lapse of worry with the weak alcohol content in the wine, before she sighed and relaxed further into the couch. "When I first met him, we almost slept together, but I decided not to since we were drunk. Then after that I got mad at him for getting me drunk to fire me and then have sex with me and I didn't see him for 13 months. After that though we got partnered and that tension was still there. It was overwhelmed with the pure anger I still felt towards him, but no less, it was still there. But then he seemed to just bust through the walls you know I have built around myself. He helped me with my mother's case, and through my father's trial. He's saved my life countless times, and I've saved his, but through this whole time he's just…been there, and I haven't had that for almost half my lifetime," she turned her head and looked at her friend, her eyes clouding with tears. "Then I had my lapse of irrationality and asked him to be the father of my kid and he had a brain tumor and was in a coma and thought I was his wife when he woke up. Then I flew away and came back six weeks later and he told me he loved me, and a couple of months back he said he wanted to give us a chance, but I said no, and it's just…really…"

"Fucked up?" Lorelei asked, clanking wine glasses with her friend as she took her answer as an acceptable one and they took a deep drink. "Let me guess, he said he had to move on and got himself a girlfriend."

"A marine biologist. Dr. Catherine Bryar," Brennan growled with distain, pulling an amused laugh from Lorelei's lungs.

"I'm sensing a little hostility towards the good doctor."

"Good doctor my ass," she growled, drinking the last of the wine she had and pouring more of the alcohol into her glass. "She stepped in all perky and beautiful, it made me absolutely sick."

"Ha!" Lorrie cackled "What's she look like."

"Like me!" Brennan exclaimed, turning her fingers towards her "But her hair is longer, wavy and a darker brown than mine. But other than that, we look very similar."

"That's delving into the subconscious honey, he wants you, so he found someone that looked like you, had a mind like you, and a doctorate like you, but since he can't have you, he went after her."

The analogy brought Brennan's head to a pulse and she shook her head "God, I hate psychology."

"But you know I'm right," Lorrie added, bumping her elbow against Brennan's arm, looking at her expectantly and nodding once she took in the deep emotions flowing through her friends' wide blue eyes. "Do you remember when I used to be super rational like you?"

"Yeah, I could use her back right now."

"Well she's gone, and do you want to know why I'm like I am now? And how I know so much about your relationship with this man I've never heard of before?"

"Yes, I would."

"Because you're relationship with your sexy boy toy, sounds a lot like my relationship with Spencer."

"Are you guys together now?"

"Yes we are. I've known that man for nine years of my life, and four of those years I spent bull shitting around what we could be, but probably shouldn't be. We danced around each other and it hurt like a bitch, but you know he's my best friend; I didn't want to lose him. He said he was moving on and dated some girl before that failed two weeks later. After that we spent another year just screwing around with each other until our chemical reaction got its catalyst and we just erupted. That first night I ever made love with him, my rational mind went out the window, and you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because when I woke up in the morning, he was still there; holding me in his arms like he had the intention of never letting go," Lorrie explained, standing up and pulling her wallet from her pocket. She pulled out a small picture of herself behind held in the arms of a muscled, tan man with bright green eyes, sandy blonde hair, and a gentle smile.

"You two are cute together."

"We've been together for 5 years the day I get back home from Indonesia; and I truthfully couldn't be happier."

"Has he proposed to you?"

"No, but I think he might soon. He's a man loosely devoted to his religion, but he's Mr. American Dream. While I still hold the 'I don't need a piece of paper to prove my commitment' card."

"Will you say yes if he asks you?"

"Hell yeah."

"That's not rational."

"I told you, that first morning after, my rational mind was gone, and my life changed completely."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe not now, but it will later."

Brennan sighed and shook her head, confusion weighing down her drunken brain further before she took another sip of wine and stumbled to her feet when a soft knock filled the room.

She opened the door to a young woman, probably 15 or 16, with a long package in her arms. "I'm sorry Dr. Brennan," she whispered, handing the package over to her, "But we found this lost in our other shipments today, and I thought that I would try and give it to you personally tonight before leaving it with the front desk."

"Oh it's alright," Brennan said, reaching over and grabbing some money from her table, handing it to the girl and smiling. "Thank you."

She shut the door and moved back to Lorelei's side, sitting down and bringing the package in her lap.

It was dark blue, and tied tightly together with a yellow ribbon. She pulled away the bow and moved away the ribbon before opening the package to an arrangement of daffodils and daisies.

A surprised smile broke her lips and a soft tear fell from her eye, her fingers shaking as she brought the small note card in front of her.

'_Sorry but I thought it would be nice to use up my one phone call to send you this for your birthday. Happy Birthday Bones! I'll make sure to throw you a huge celebration when we get home. Remember only 183 more days. 6 more months!_

_-Love Booth.'_

"This from your partner?" Lorelei asked; taking and reading the card Brennan deposited back in the box.

"Yeah," Brennan muttered; her voice breaking as she brought the bright yellow and white flowers to her nose, taking in a deep breath of the scent while tears trekked down her cheeks.

"Spencer always got me tiger lilies," Lorelei muttered with a smile, brushing her fingers over the flowers gently. "They're my favorite."

"Daffodils and daisies are mine."


	25. A Kiss Good Night

**An: Ahhh you guys are so going to love me...then hate me...hate me...hate me some more...hate me the most...hate me less, but still hate me...then kinda ease up, but the hate is still there, then you'll be annoyed, but still angered, then you're going to love me again ;)**

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Through the next six months, Brennan got her hair trimmed again and got it dyed to a slightly darker color. Lorelei always talked to Brennan about Booth when they got together to watch the sunset and the wily girl couldn't believe how much her friend loved this man and didn't even know it. Artifacts were collected throughout the island to suggest the hominids were a small, nomadic tribe; and Brennan continued to get calls and emails from Booth all throughout her stay.

Everyone on the team wrote up their notes and the doctors heading the expedition wrote up their conclusions. All paperwork was sent to the Board of Forensic Anthropology where they awaited publishing.

They were extended thanks from the board, and were told that the honors ceremony location, date and time would be sent to them within the next week or two.

When Brennan's bags were taken away, she turned around to her friends and sadly brought them into her arms, every intern earning a hug from her except for Daisy who was obviously coming with her.

"Stay safe Joshua," Brennan whispered when she hugged the smiling man "Make sure your sister doesn't do anything stupid."

"That'll be a hard one," he muttered, laughing when Lorelei walked over and pushed him out of the way, hugging Brennan tight to her and glaring "Mine," she growled teasingly, tightening her arms around the anthropologist before coming to stand back and she rested her hands on Brennan's cheeks.

"Listen to me Brennan. You're a genius in the science world, but when it comes to your emotions you're two steps above an idiot. Don't let that stop you from being happy alright?"

She nodded and hugged Lorelei again, her words echoing in her head before Lorrie spoke again, right against her ear. "I can tell by the way you talk about him, and how much he cares about you that it's meant to work out; but since you don't believe in fate, you need to realize you have to kick start this reaction, because he never will."

"But why won't he if he wants something with me so badly?" Brennan asked softly, her voice weak and wavering.

"Because despite all of the pain he's feeling, the last thing he wants is for you to run away, and when he pushes you to identify what you feel, he knows you'll run."

Brennan smiled when she pulled back and looked at her friend with interest, shaking her head and laughing gently "It's hard to believe you used to be rational."

"Oh, I'm still rational. I'm just not alone."

Brennan nodded, and her eyes widened slightly as she took in the declaration of her friend, before Daisy finally pulled her out of her trance. "Dr. Brennan we should probably get going. Our plane is boarding."

"A-alright," she stuttered, turning her lost eyes on her assistant and nodding, smiling and waving sadly at the others as they walked away. "I'll see you guys at the ceremony."

"Remember what I told you Brennan!" Lorelei screamed, smiling and bringing a daffodil from her jacket, twirling it with an almost evil look on her face. She smiled and looked at the flower before she tossed it to Brennan. "Remember what I told you."

Daisy sat beside Brennan and smiled as she twirled the daffodil between her fingers, looking thoughtfully at the quickly moving bulb of yellow. "Why did Lorrie give you that? And what did she tell you to remember?"

Brennan's eyes rose and Daisy saw an interesting contrast in them, like she was scared, but elated to be going home. Her mouth opened and the corner's of her lips turned upwards before she turned her eyes back to the flower and spoke quietly. "She told me some information that I didn't believe to be possible."

"Was it valuable information?"

'_Oh, I'm still rational. I'm just not alone.'_

"Yes, Daisy, it's very valuable," Brennan whispered, smiling at the intern gently before twirling the flower between her fingers again, and her eyes turned to view out of the window, watching as the clouds floated by.

She didn't understand why she felt nervous walking through the bustling sidewalks, breaking away from the groups of people and jogging to the trails leading around the World War II memorial. Practically jumping from the top of the hill, she ran down to the bottom and walked the last stretch of pavement, the beautiful summer breeze wafting through her hair as the coffee cart was in sight and she nodded to the clerk.

"Long time, no see Dr. Brennan," the young man said, "Where have you and your partner been? I like your new hair."

"Well thank you and Booth went to Afghanistan for a year training soldiers while I went to Indonesia for the hominid project," Brennan explained, sitting down on the bench and crossing her legs. "We promised each other we'd meet here in a year."

The young man smiled and glanced over her head, nodding and taking out two cups, scribbling the usual information on the cup and starting up the machine. "Maybe you should check behind you," the teen said, smiling and flipping his hair from his eyes.

Brennan felt her heart speed up tenfold and she turned in her seat, immediately jumping up and running to her partner, still dressed in his army uniform, and looking completely relieved to be home.

"Bones," Booth said happily before he laughed and she barreled into his arms, her hold around his neck so tight he was forced to bring his face to comfortably bury in her neck and his arms circled her lower back, lifting her off and ground and spinning around with her slowly.

"I guess you really did miss me," he joked tenderly, his lips moving against her neck and bringing her arms to tighten around him.

"I did," she whispered breathlessly, taking in the desert beaten smell of his cologne and smiling like a wild woman. "I'm so glad you listened to me Booth."

Booth laughed and hugged her tightly before allowing her to stand on her feet, his arms coming higher on her back. "What do you mean Bones?"

"I mean you came back in one piece," Brennan murmured, her eyes widening as sadness overcame here and her multiple nightmares she had over the year about him being killed in Afghanistan all pushed their way into her mind.

He caught the single tear that fell from her eye and he brought her into his arms again. "Ssh Bones, it's alright, I'm right here."

Her arms were tight around him and she buried her face in his chest, taking in a shaky breath as he ran his hands up and down her back, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Bones, this is the first time we've seen each other in a year, let's be happy. We're back together again; we don't need to worry about what could have happened, just what's going to happen."

"You're right," she said, stepping away from him and wiping away the tears that held her fears, smiling at him as she took in how loosely his uniform hung on him. "Booth, you've become _very_ toned…"

"And so the swooning begins, I knew the guns would make the ladies drool," he joked, flexing his arms and showing how much his muscle mass has increased since a year ago.

"When you say guns do you mean your muscles?"

"Yes, Bones, I mean my muscles, and I see you've cut your hair, and dyed it," he said, smiling and reaching out, brushing his fingers across her bangs and bringing them to settle against her forehead. "You look beautiful Temperance, you really do."

She blushed and young man at the stand cleared his throat, smiling and holding up the two steaming cups of coffee. "Reunion coffee on the house guys," he said, handing them to the team as they walked over and nodded their heads in thanks.

They sat down together, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder, their coffee clasped in their hands as they looked at each other silently and smiled.

"I've missed you Bones."

"I know. I've missed you too Booth."

Booth and Brennan spent the whole day together; walking around the city, eating at the diner, going to see a movie, and everything else they usually did throughout their personal time together. They laughed and smiled and felt elation that they couldn't even describe, from being with each other again; like they were two halves of a whole, and finally being together made them feel complete.

At the end of the day they were exhausted, but didn't feel like parting, so they decided to go back to Booth's place to watch yet another movie, and so that Booth could change out of his army uniform and take a nice hot shower. Brennan agreed easily, and walked arm in arm with her partner down the sidewalks until they reached his apartment and he held the door open for her to walk into the hall where his apartment door was.

She smiled and thanked him, using her own key to open the door to his apartment and let them in, moving and plopping down on his couch, moving to her side and stretching across the oddly comfortable, but obviously worn couch.

"Mmm, we need to get you a new couch Booth," Brennan muttered, bringing her arms over her head and closing her eyes momentarily.

"Yeah probably, but don't go falling asleep Bones, I have a war movie I'm dying to watch, and dying for you to correct," he joked, brushing his fingers against her forearms before nodding back to his bedroom. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Alright," she whispered, her voice taking on a sweet tone that he only heard when she was getting tired, or just woke up.

Booth smiled and walked back into his bedroom, grabbing a towel from the rack in his bathroom and quickly stripping off his clothes. He jumped in the shower and turned the hot water on, sighing as the spray relaxed his shoulders and he felt ultimately sleepy. He lazily washed his hair and body and once all the soap had washed down the drain he stopped the spray and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his hips and running another through his hair.

He walked out into his bedroom and started searching for his Army sweatpants, before he remembered he had left them in his laundry room a year before. He groaned and stepped out into the hall, finding his Bones rolled onto her side, her arms curled under her head as she breathed softly, dreaming away.

He took in the beautiful sight of her sleeping face and found himself moving beside her, instead of going to fetch his sweatpants. He sat down on the ground beside her and rested his arm against the arm of the couch, his fingers brushing her bangs and short hair back behind her shoulder.

His head tilted and his fingers brushed against her cheek and jaw, his body moving forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead, bringing her from her peaceful sleep with a gentle start.

"Booth?" she asked softly, confused as to what was happening, or where she was, but too tired to really care.

"Ssh, go back to sleep Bones," Booth returned, his fingers continuing to brush through her hair as her head returned to her arms and her eyes closed.

She complied immediately and fell asleep to the lulling of his fingers. He stood reluctantly and walked back into his laundry room, taking off his towel and putting on a clean pair of boxers along with his sweatpants before he came back to Brennan and leaned down, easily lifting her into his arms and off his couch.

"Mmm, what are you doing?" she asked weakly, curling perfectly into his chest and bringing her arms around her neck.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch," he whispered, pulling down the sheets of his bed before settling her on the side he slept on and bringing the sheet up to her hips.

"But, it's your first night back. I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch," she argued, starting to sit up, but found herself too tired and weak against his hands pushing her back down.

"It's alright Bones, just get some sleep," he murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing his finger tips against her cheek.

"Mmm," she whimpered softly, sinking into the mattress and allowing her breathing to slow gradually.

Booth didn't know what kind of force took him over, but he found himself leaning into her, his lips pressing to hers in a tender kiss good night before he stood and she fell into one of the deepest sleeps of her life.


	26. Another Player In The Game

**An: Warning, Hatred alert. ;)**

* * *

When Brennan woke the next day, her arms tightened around Booth's pillow, holding it tight to her chest and smiling as she took in a deep breath of the cologne engraved into the sheets. Her eyes fluttered open, and her lips still tingled from the night before. She didn't know if it was real, or if it was from a dream; and she didn't know that if the kiss was real, if Booth really meant to do it, or if was something that just…happened.

No less she sat up slowly, moving her shoulders and loosening her muscles, smiling and rubbing her eyes before she glanced at the clock and jumped from the bed, realizing that it was almost two in the afternoon.

"Well, look who finally decided to wake up," Booth teased, a spatula in his hand as he flipped over a grilled cheese sandwich, the dark lines under his eyes enlightened greatly.

"I'm sorry. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Bones, you looked beat, I wasn't going to wake you up. I find you feel the best when you wake up when you want," he smiled reaching out and brushing her hair behind her ear "Nice bed head."

She ran her hands down through her hair, trying to press it down before finally relenting and pulling it up in a short pony tail. "Hey, I toss and turn a lot in my sleep, it would only be logical that my hair would be quite messy when I wake up."

"Looks like sex hair, sneak someone into my room when I was asleep Bones?"

Her mouth fell, appalled. "Do you really think I would do something like that?"

"I know you wouldn't," he murmured, opening his arm and bringing her into his side "I'm just messing with you Bones. Teasing you. It's a sign of endearment. It's a good thing."

Brennan smiled and wrapped her arms around Booth, hugging him gently before stepping back and brushing her bangs into their place. "I should probably get going. Thank you for letting me stay here."

"Bones, what's the rush?" Booth asked, placing the grilled cheese on a plate and handing it to her. "You don't have to run off, I made food!"

"Well, it is rare to find a man who can cook," she teased, smiling and taking the sandwich, nodding her head in thanks before moving to the living room, sitting down and sitting back into the leather couch.

"Can we watch that movie? Or do you have to go to the lab or something?" He asked, settling his plate on the table and holding up the movie case.

"I can miss one more day," Brennan whispered, smiling up at him, and laughing with him as he nodded and knelt before his DVD player, popping the movie in and quickly moving to Brennan's side, his hands working against each other excitedly.

"I've been dying to see this thing for MONTHS!"

Brennan looked at him and smiled, feeling her chest warm at the elation on his face over a small thing like a movie. She bit into the sandwich and moaned as it melted in her mouth, looking over at him with shy eyes. "Sorry."

Booth laughed and moved his hand over, resting his palm against her knee and squeezing gently, before bringing his plate into his lap. "Oh, it's alright Bones," he said with a smirk, looking at her and laughing softly.

"You're mean," she huffed, refusing to look at him.

"I tease you because I love you Bones, ask Angela, she can explain."

They went back to work the day after their second day of spending quality time with each other, and found a fresh case file waiting on their desks.

They had recovered their body, and the squint squad went to work. They found out that it was a woman, anywhere from 25 to 30 years of age, and without a child. Hodgins found odd spores he couldn't recognize at a glance, and Booth practically saw the gears turn in his head.

He waited around and listened as Brennan described the cut marks to her ribs, suggesting she was stabbed in the chest, violently, and with an immense amount of struggle. He heard her voice become small, and he stood, walking over to her and resting his hand on her lower back, his thumb brushing against her lab coat.

"Bones," Booth whispered "Focus on the facts. Get me something to find her killer."

She wiped a tear away with her sleeve and nodded, clearing her throat and hardening her eyes, leaning forward and quirking her eyebrow in interest. "What is this?" she asked, taking up the victim's wrist and turning it gently. "Can you hand me my forceps?"

Booth nodded and handed her the tool, grabbing a Petri dish and holding it up to her when she pulled out a small, round, metallic object, placing it on the dish before gently spraying it with water, washing away the flesh before holding it up.

"What is it?" Booth asked, looking at it over her shoulder, narrowing his eyes as he tried to read the script.

"I…I don't know," Brennan muttered, looking at her partner over her shoulder. "I'll give it to Angela, maybe she can transcribe the carvings on this to see what it says."

"Maybe this is something worth killing for."

"What's that say?"

Angela squinted and murmured, reading the cursive print written around the cylindrical object. "Long...live the president…oh my god."

"What?" Booth asked, looking closer, but shrugging his shoulders "What is it?"

"Something definitely worth killing for," Brennan whispered, looking at Booth and nodding to the monitor "This is one of George Washington's campaign buttons."

"The George Washington? As in the first president of these United States."

"Yes," Brennan agreed, taking the Petri dish with the button in it and turning to Angela "I'm going to give this to authentications, thank you Angela. I'll have Wendell clean the skull and place the tissue markers so you can begin your reconstruction."

"Alright sweetie," Ange said, smiling at her friend and clearing her throat when the partners moved to leave her office. "I'm glad you guys are back."

Booth and Brennan looked at each other and smiled, before glancing back to the artist and nodding their heads "We are too," Brennan assured, laughing softly before her heels clacked on the floor, leading from the lab and to the authentications department.

"Camille Chevalier," Angela said to the computer, turning in the chair and nodding to the picture of the beautiful woman. "She was here from France transporting important historic documents and artifacts."

"Ouch," Booth groaned, bringing a hand to his forehead "I hate federal cases, even more than domestic ones."

"Isn't that the only two cases there are?" Hodgins asked, looking up and smirking at the death glare given to him from the agent. "Hey dude, I'm just asking."

"You know what, focus on your spores," Booth snapped, pointing to Hodgins. "Bones, ready to go?"

"I can't go Booth," Brennan argued, nodding to the now cleaned skeleton "I need to continue my analysis of the remains before casting the wounds."

"I can do that Dr. Brennan," Wendell said, nodding to his friend with a smile.

"Yes, you're going to help me, I need casts of every wound and there are many, many of them," she explained, turning to her partner and shrugging. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I'll be back soon."

"Okay. Bye Booth!"

Booth sighed as he walked through the halls of the National Archives, sitting in the lobby chairs before he was to meet with Dr. Hertz.

Dr. Hertz was the supervisor of the National Archives, and the person who personally oversees all transitions of artifacts from one city to the other. This time though, she couldn't fly out to France because of a Gala that she was demanded to attend, but was intending to meet Chevalier downstairs with the items.

"Casey, bring him in," a women yelled from a closed door, the secretary nodding to Booth and motioning for him to go inside.

He took a deep breath and opened the office door, stopping and finding himself short of breath as he looked at the woman in front of her.

She was beautiful, with a thin figure perfectly highlighted in her blouse. Her eyes were gentle and light blue, and her flowing, curled blonde hair was pinned over one shoulder, her bangs falling to further accent her face.

She herself was taken aback, the handsome Agent not someone she was suspecting, and she smiled, stepping around her desk and offering her hand. "Hello, I'm Dr. Arabelle Hertz."

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI. Arabelle that's a beautiful name."

Arabelle huffed and shook her head "My parents are directly German, if that tells you anything. I'm not too fond of my name, so mostly everyone calls me Arie."

"Well no less, the name is beautiful, I'm here concerning Camille Chevalier."

"Ah, my French transport. Where was she? I got the artifacts but, she didn't show up," Arie said, leaning back against her desk.

"She was murdered."

"Oh my god," she gasped, her eyes casting downwards at the news. "She was such a sweet woman."

"Did you know her personally?"

"I worked with her before yes. We shared a few drinks, she was always so…happy, never hated by anyone, who would want to kill her?"

"That's what I'm here to find out," Booth said, smiling weakly "I'm really sorry that I have to put you through this."

"It's very alright," Arie said, though her voice said otherwise, her hands clenching hard on the side of her desk. "Anything I can do to help."

"Would you mind coming with me? The interrogation is something I have to do."

"Not at all," she agreed, grabbing her purse and pulling it over her shoulder before walking out of her office, holding the tears into her eyes, until she reached the hall way and gentle tears fell from her eyes.

Booth reached over and rested his hand on the top of her back, rubbing comfortingly as they waited for the elevator. "I'm very sorry for your loss," he murmured, smiling weakly when she turned around at the genuineness of his words. "I really am."

Arie nodded and reached up, brushing her fingers softly against his arm before she whispered "Thank you," and stepped into the elevator.


	27. Don't Ask, Don't Tell

**An: So, I'm totally adding this at McDonalds, and this is probably the smartest thing they've EVER done. XD Bahahahahahaha! You don't understand how odd, yet amazing this is. But, I'm sure you're all going to hate me after this chapter, so hate away, but remember...true love is ALWAYS messy ;)**

* * *

Booth interrogated Arabelle, and got all of the background information on Camille that he needed. He helped her from her seat and rested his hand on her back as he led her back to his SUV, and made his way towards the National Archives.

"Arabelle…"

"Arie," she interrupted, looking at Booth and smiling weakly.

"Arie, you know you can call me if you need something," Booth whispered, looking over at her once he came to a stop at a red light.

"I know," she whispered, looking down at her lap and watching her fingers move against each other. "Thank you."

"I'm serious," he reiterated, reaching over and resting his hand over hers, "I'm not just trying to be nice. If you need anything, you can always call me."

Arie looked up, and her hand turned over, bringing their fingers to lace together as he looked over at her and smiled, before easing the SUV forward. "Won't you get in trouble if I call you at all hours of the night when I can't sleep?"

He laughed at her sarcasm and squeezed her hand, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulder. "I'm not fraternizing with a suspect; I'm just being helpful, to a friend who is in a horrible situation."

"Who also happens to be a suspect in a murder case."

"Details, details…"

Their eyes met and they shared a gentle laugh, Arabelle looking over at Booth and smiling at him as his eyes stayed on the road, and his thumb brushed against the soft skin of her hand, soothing away the worry and stress in a simple, soft caress.

"Booth, what took you so long?" Brennan asked once Booth walked into her office and sat down in the chair in front of her desk.

"I went to the Archives and talked to the woman at the Hoover for a little bit before I drove her back to work and then came here," Booth explained, sitting back and bouncing his leg up and down.

"Booth, are you okay?" she muttered, walking around her desk and settling in the seat beside him, reaching her hand out and settling her palm against his knee.

His leg stilled and he brought his knuckle to his lips, looking at Brennan with thought lost eyes before he nodded and straightened. "Oh yeah. I'm just thinking Bones."

"About what? About the woman you just interrogated?"

"Yeah," Booth answered truthfully, but heard himself say _'But not the way you're thinking of'_ in his head.

"Wendell and I casted all of the wounds, he's working on matching the weapon now," Brennan explained, bringing her hand back to herself and leaning back, wondering why Booth felt so far away from her.

Booth nodded and stood up. "Well, I should probably get back to the office, try and see if there was any bad blood between Camille and her colleagues that Arie didn't know about."

"Arie?" Brennan asked; slight disgust in her voice at the informality.

"Yeah. Camille and Dr. Arabelle Hertz were friends, and Camille was supposed to meet Arie downstairs at the Archives with important documentation from France. The documents came but she never did," Booth explained, sliding his hands into his pocket and shrugging his shoulders. "She was really upset about Camille's death."

"Sounds like you became…friendly with, this woman…"

Booth chuckled and shook his head "Bones, it's not like that. I comfort the people directly affected by murder. It's what you do. It's affectionate."

"Affection can only go so far," Brennan muttered, bringing a clipboard to her chest and quickly moving from her office.

"You're going to get mad at me because I interrogated a suspect?"

"I'm not mad at you Booth. I'll call you when I know anything on the weapon."

Booth sighed as he sat in his office, and the time ticked away with no word from Bones. He glanced to the clock on his computer and ran his hand over his face once he realized it was eight at night and most likely only Bones would still be at the lab.

He didn't understand why she felt so jealous just because he interrogated Arie, and truthfully; he didn't want to start drama on that subject. So he decided if he spent time with Arabelle, he would keep it secret, at least from his coworkers.

He stood and grabbed his suit jacket, throwing it over his shoulders and shoving his phone in his pocket. He tightened his tie a little bit, before shrugging to himself and loosening it again. He moved to the door and turned the light off, moving to the elevator and making it to the parking garage before his phone rang.

He pulled the device out and flipped it open. "Booth?"

"Hey, Seeley, it's Arie," Arabelle said into the phone, leaning against her desk nervously, before she sat back in her chair and turned around to look at her perfect view of the capital building.

"Hey Arie, how are you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I was just…wondering…if, you would like to go and get a drink with me. I need alcohol."

Booth laughed and nodded to himself. "Sure, do you have a place in mind?"

"I do, it's a small place uptown. It's called Barista's; do you know where it is?"

"I think so, on Main and North right?"

"Right. I'll meet you there."

"Alright, I can't wait," Booth whispered, smiling and climbing into his Suburban and practically speeding to the little pub.

There was gentle R&B music beating from the colorfully lit stage visible over the beautiful fence overgrown with trees and vines. A tall wooden fence was circled the outdoor pub, and fountains trickled calmly against the fence. Arie stood, her arms crossed over her chest, next to her Mazda, her blouse and pencil skirt a little formal, but still beautiful.

Booth smiled and threw his jacket and tie into the back of his SUV before he got out and jogged to her, smiling and kissing her cheek gently. "You doing alright?"

"Yes I'm fine," she said, but he knew instantly that she was lying.

"Well, we don't have to worry about that tonight I suppose," Booth explained, resting his hand on her back and nodding towards the wooden gate. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Arie muttered, smiling up at him and opening the gate, smiling at the small groups of people laughing together and having a genuinely great time.

Booth smiled and shook hands with everyone that Arie introduced him to. He smiled and talked animatedly with a man; named Tyler; that was also a native from Philadelphia, and they quickly got on the subject of the upcoming Steelers' season. Arie pressed her hands to Booth's back and leaned up, her breath brushing against his ear to tell him she would get them something to drink before she slipped to the bar and he turned back to Tyler.

"So, are you dating Arie?" he asked, smiling and drinking gently from his beer bottle.

"No," Booth said, shaking his head "No, no. We're new friends. I'm an agent for the FBI and one of Arie's friends was murdered. I'm working the case and I told her to call me if she needed anything, and she called me tonight."

"Well, I want to thank you for that," Tyler said "She's beautiful and successful and so amazing, but she'll act like she's fine, when she's just broken inside."

"Yeah, I can tell," he nodded, smiling as Arie walked back with two beers in her hand handing one to Booth and nodding to a comfortable wooden bench near a fountain and under a large cheery tree.

Booth complied and clapped his hand on Tyler's shoulder, nodding his head in good bye before he moved and sat down with her, smiling as he continually reminded himself how beautiful she really was.

When she was calm her eyes seemed darker, like an ocean blue instead of a baby blue, and her beautiful blonde hair didn't have a single strand out of place. She brought the bottle to her lips and nursed her drink, before looking at him and blushing gently. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing, just looking."

"At what?"

"You."

"Why?"

"Do you always ask these many questions?" Booth shot back, smiling at her and leaning closer so they could speak quieter, but still hear each other over the music.

"If I have questions, I'll ask them," she demanded, smiling and leaning into him, holding up her beer bottle and clanking the glass together with his before taking a drink.

"Do you come here a lot?"

"Yeah," Arie nodded "This place is family own, and you have to be invited to come. We're allowed to bring guests, but usually people don't try and get in here anymore. We don't make a huge scene so therefore, to passerbies, it's not that fun."

"I think this is fun, but I don't know if it's more that I'm here, or if I'm with you."

She laughed and shook her head, leaning into his shoulder and allowing him to take a deep breath of her perfume, sitting back and looking at each other with a challenge in their eyes. "Let's play a game."

"Oh?" Booth asked, smirking at her. "What kind of game?"

"A drinking game obviously."

"Oh, you're a smartass too?"

"Yes, I am," Arabelle stated happily, smiling and shaking her head. "No, let's play a game like truth or dare; get to know each other better."

"Ok, who's going to start?"

"This is where the alcohol comes in," Arie said "The one that can drink their beer the quickest, gets to ask the first question."

"Well I can do that," Booth said, holding three fingers up "1…2…3!"

The brought the bottles to their lips and drank the alcohol quickly, despite the disgusting taste on their tongue and their pure want to stop and nurse their drank. Booth finished first obviously and Arabelle laughed, shaking her head and looking at him. "Alright, go ahead."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Did you call me here just because you needed a drinking buddy?"

She took in a deep breath and smirked, breathing out and shaking her head "No…I didn't. Now, truth or dare."

"Truth…"

"Did you come just because I offered alcohol?"

He smirked and brought himself closer to her, shaking his head and whispering "No. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you enjoy being in this situation with me? As in, just the two of us, in a calming place, enjoying each other's company."

She smiled and laughed gently, nodding her head and brushing her bangs back in their place once a gust of wind swept them in a different direction. "I do," she admitted, smiling and inching closer to him, their faces only millimeters apart as she whispered breathlessly "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Booth growled, smiling at her and smirking at the glimmer in her eyes.

"I think you already know my dare," she admitted, her hand rising to rest against the side of his neck and bringing her lips to his, his hand coming to rest on her hip as their tongues melded together and their hearts sped up at the connection they felt.

She moaned gently into his mouth and Booth reluctantly pulled away. "We should probably stop," he muttered, their foreheads resting together.

"Maybe…but…it's still your turn."

Booth laughed "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Arabelle whispered in return, smiling and brushing her fingers down the line of buttons on the front of his chest.

"Will that be the last time we kiss?"

"No," she answered immediately, making them both laugh and bringing their lips together again in a chaste, tender kiss. "Definitely not."

"Does this count as fraternizing?"

"Don't ask, don't tell, that's my motto," Arie pointed out, smiling and taking the passionate kiss Booth pressed to her lips, his agreement that he truthfully didn't care either.


	28. Don't Expect Trouble Won't Come Your Way

**An: Yeah I know you all hate me, but just bear with me. Sooner or later, you'll be happy. But this is more real. You don't expect Booth to wait forever, he just has to try to move on, doesn't mean he will. He just has to try. ;)**

**The Explosion is coming quicker. Don't worry. :)**

* * *

Cam frowned when she walked into the lab and peered into Brennan's office, seeing the anthropologist with her cheek on her arm, fast asleep on her desk.

Her knuckle tapped against the threshold and Brennan opened her eyes, groaning and sitting up, rubbing her neck before squinting at Cam. "Is it morning?"

"Yes, Dr. Brennan. You fell asleep here last night? What time did you go to sleep?" Cam whispered, her voice dripping with concern as she stepped into her friend's office, and stood next to her desk.

"Three," Brennan explained, rubbing her eyes and sitting back in her chair. "I remember searching for weapons matching the wounds we found on the victim before falling asleep."

"Has something been bothering you Dr. Brennan? Usually Booth drags you from the lab before you get the chance to fall asleep in your office."

Cam saw the hurt in Brennan's eyes, and caught the tic of worry in her jaw before the anthropologist turned to her computer and pulled up a picture, pointing to the intricate knife. "Our victim was killed with a French rondel dagger; fourteenth century by the chemical's left behind in the wounds. There's multiple found in the Louvre, but none were meant to come with the documentation to the National Archives. I'll have to have Booth check and see if they're missing any of their daggers, or if one was smuggled into the U.S. and used to murder Camille."

"Maybe you should go home, Dr. Brennan, and get some rest," Cam suggested, putting 'talk to Booth' on her mental to-do list.

"I'm fine," Brennan assured, standing up and swaying gently before she steadied. "I should call and tell Booth."

"Alright, but you can take any time off you need, Temperance."

"Thank you, Cam," she whispered, shaking her head and pulling her hair back at the nape of her neck. "But I'm fine. Really."

"Whatever you say Dr. Brennan."

"What's this about Cam?" Booth asked as Cam slid into the seat across from him, leaning forward on her elbows with a stern look in her eye. "This didn't sound like a social call."

"Because it isn't. What's going on with you and Brennan?" Cam asked instantly, her fingers laced in front of her as her head tilted, her eyes darkened predatorily, like she was a mother lioness protecting her cub.

"What do you mean what's going on with me and Bones? Nothing's going on. Why do you ask?"

"Because I found her asleep on her desk. She never went home last night, and I know that you _always_ drag her home, even if you're ready to wring her neck. So, what's happening?"

"Nothing happened. I just had another…outing I had to go to."

"Outing? Well…that can explain something," Cam said, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest. "What's her name?"

"Why do you automatically assume it's a woman that kept me away?"

"Because I know you Seeley; and I know how hard you're trying to get away from Brennan because you're scared of your feelings for her. So instead of spending time with her; you went out with this woman because you thought it would be better for you…so, what's your name?"

"Dr. Arabelle Hertz…Arie," Booth whispered, looking down at the cup of coffee he was stirring mindlessly with a straw.

"The victim's friend? That's fraternizing with a suspect Booth. If Cullen or Hacker gets wind of that you're done."

"She didn't do it…"

"She's still a suspect."

"Why do you care?" Booth growled, shaking his head and sitting back. "Please, inform me why you want me to be miserable?"

"I don't want you to be miserable Seeley, but I'm sure you'll be miserable if you keep acting like this," Cam assured, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Really? Explain how going out with a beautiful, amazing, funny woman, is going to make me miserable…"

"Because you don't want a beautiful, amazing, funny woman; you want Brennan," Cam whispered, shaking her head and looking at Booth sternly. "You love her; head over heels love her, and you know deep down you aren't ready to move on."

"No, Cam, I'm ready," Booth muttered, turning on his hip and pulling his wallet out, throwing a few bills on the table before standing up abruptly, and shoving his wallet back in his pocket. "I'm done waiting for her."

"No you're not Seeley, and you know you aren't," she called over her shoulder, turning in her seat when she saw that the agent had stopped and looked at her. "And another thing that you know is that you'll never be ready to move on from her because every time you look into her bright blue doe eyes, you fall more and more in love with that woman."

He smirked and looked down at his feet, before looking at Cam with a smile and look of pure defeat. "There's no need to state the obvious Cam. At least let me fool myself enough to help me out of bed in the morning."

Cam watched as Booth left the diner and jogged across the street, sliding into his SUV and driving away quickly.

Booth picked up Brennan before heading to the archives, and he smiled when he saw Arie, their looks between each other unnerving Brennan as she cleared her throat and nodded to the large box in front of them. "Can we…please?"

Arabelle nodded and cleared her throat, handing a crow bar to Booth and allowing him to pull open the large box.

"Carefully remove the artifacts," Arie said to two men with latex gloves on their hands "And once they are checked for blood, and are clean, hand them to Jason and Terra, and they'll catalogue them for our records."

The men nodded and pulled out a document case, that Brennan quickly swiped her Q-tip over the case, dipping it in the solution and shaking her head when it stayed the same color.

They went through everything in the box before the swab of one case turned pink and she released a sigh "This has blood on it."

The two men stepped back and Brennan peeked over the box, leaning in and rearranging the shavings in the bottom used to cushion the artifacts, until her latex covered fingers came back with a French rondel dagger, covered in dried blood.

"I'd say we have our murder weapon," Booth said, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning back on his heels before looking at Arabelle.

"I'll get the records from the French to see if this was catalogued or not," Arabelle said, gently touching Booth's elbow before she disappeared down the hall and slid her card into the receiver to call the elevator.

Brennan watched the interaction and looked down to the dagger in her hands, a feeling of hurt spreading through her chest like poison; the only thing keeping her from tottering on the edge of breaking down, being the single dagger; covered in Camille's blood.

She had to help this girl, and that single need kept her from shedding any tears.

"The dagger was smuggled," Arabelle said, handing the documentation to Booth.

"Well, we'll make sure to clean off all of the blood once this is over so that the Louvre might actually want it again," Booth teased, smiling and folding the paper, sticking it in his back pocket.

"The blood might actually give it some more appeal," Arie said, leaning back against her desk and smiling at the man in front of her.

"Possibly, the gorier the better right?"

"Very much so," she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your 'partner' didn't look to happy when she saw who I was."

"Bones? No, she isn't like that. She's too rational," Booth assured, even though the thought stung him.

"So nothing is going on between you two?"

"Nope. Just partners."

"Well, that's good," she muttered in a sultry voice, glancing over his shoulder through her glass door to make sure her secretary wasn't watching. "That means I can do this," she advanced forward on him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him flush against her and bringing their lips together in a heated, passionate kiss.

"Mmm, yes you can do that, but if we act like this a lot people might think we're dating," he whispered, smiling and kissing her softly before she stepped out of his arms and smiled.

"Now we can't have that."

"At least not right now," Booth assured, smiling and reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear, his thumb running tenderly along her jaw. "I know you didn't do it, we just have to get this case closed and we'll be fine."

"I hope you find out who did this to her. I can't tell you much about her, but she was probably the nicest person I've ever met. No one deserves to die, but she especially didn't," Arie whispered, her eyes falling to her feet as sadness deepened the color of her light blue eyes.

Booth stepped forward and kissed her forehead, bringing her into his arms and hugging her gently. "I know. I see that disappointment every day."

"How can you do that?" she asked, holding him tight and burying her face in his chest. "How can you see all of this sadness and pain, and not be affected by it?"

"I'm affected by it," he assured, running his fingers gently through her hair. "Trust me; I'm affected by it. But instead of thinking I can't do anything about it, I turn that into ambition, and I work with my squints to catch the bastards who took an innocent life."

"You're an amazing man," Arabelle whispered, pulling back and leaning up to press her lips to his gently. "I hope you realize that."

"Some days I do, some days I don't; I guess it all just depends."

"So modest, yet so naïve to his own impact on the people's lives around him," she assured, brushing her fingers across his nape and stealing another kiss from him before she fully stepped away and backed herself against her desk. "You should probably get back to work."

"Yeah, I have to interrogate Camille's co workers and friends that came with her when she brought over all of the documents," Booth explained, smiling at her and moving towards her office door. "Make sure to call me if you need me."

"I will," Arie said, smiling and breathing a shaky breath as she watched him walk away from her office, shooting one last 'good bye' look over his shoulder and in her direction.

"One of her friends said that she had a jealous boyfriend back in France," Booth said, walking up onto the platform, his eyes focused on the interview transcripts. "Said his name was Hugo, but she couldn't recall his last name, or what he did."

"Does she have any sort of recollection of his last name?" Angela asked.

"No, but do you mind going in to another interrogation with me and you can draw him? She said that she saw him once or twice and that if I had an artist she could try and portray what he looks like."

"Sure, I'm not really needed here," Ange assured, glancing to Brennan and realizing that she hadn't talked, or looked up from the skeleton since Booth walked in. "You alright sweetie?"

"Fine," she replied curtly, keeping her eyes trained on her bones.

"Did you find anything Bones?"

"She was stabbed fourteen times with the dagger."

"Great. Crime of passion, let's go Ange, we need to get a face on this boyfriend," Booth said, nodding to the door and quickly running down the steps and out towards his SUV.

"What's going on with you and Brennan? She was fine before you showed up."

"She's mad at me."

"Why?"

"She thinks I've become too friendly with Dr. Hertz."

"Have you?"

"You know what," Booth growled, throwing himself in his side of the SUV and slamming the door closed. "That doesn't matter. We need to find out who this guy is. He's our prime suspect and I need to know who the hell he is."

"I'm taking that as a yes," Angela whispered, looking out of the window before looking at him and shrugging a shoulder.


	29. You Shattered Before My Eyes

**An: Busting this out quick, because even I want BB back XD**

* * *

"Hugo Morel," Angela said, looking over the profile of the hit she got on her sketch. "He worked at the Louvre in ancient weaponry, and he flew here, 1st class, the same day Camille did, but flew home the next day."

"It has to be him," Booth said, clapping his hands together and opening his phone. "And I have to call the French government to tell them to post an APB for this man so he can be dragged back here."

"But why did he do it?" Brennan asked, straightening and crossing her arms. "You can't arrest a man for conjecture."

"No, but I can bring him into interrogation, and release a shrink on him," he explained, bringing the phone to his ear. "That'll get me my reason why."

Brennan sighed and shook her head, looking over the skeleton of the young woman. "I'll call for a coffin, the remains aren't needed anymore. All evidence has been gathered that can be gathered, anything else lies within the tests being preformed now."

"Are you releasing her to her brother?" Angela asked quietly, standing up to stand on the other side of the autopsy table.

"Yes, I am," Brennan whispered "I bought a plane ticket for him to come and take her back to France, so she can be buried in her family cemetery."

"He'll remember that for the rest of his life," Ange whispered, smiling at her friend softly "That was a really sweet gesture."

"It means nothing, just common courtesy," she pushed off, looking up as she saw Cam walk quickly from her office with a folder in her hand. "Dr. Saroyan, what did you find in the blood samples?"

"There is blood from another person, most likely from the assailant by the defense wounds you pointed out and the small bits of skin found under the victim's finger nails," Cam explained, looking to the man on the computer screen. "Is that her boyfriend?"

"Yes, Booth is calling the French government to have him captured and brought here for interrogation. If he is found we can compare DNA," Brennan explained, looking up once Booth bounded back up the steps of the platform with a smile on his face.

"He is already under arrest," Booth said happily "For a string of robberies he's committed throughout Paris, he will be here tomorrow, transported with armed guards."

"We found blood from the assailant with the victim's blood on the dagger, and found skin cells under the victim's finger nails, we should give this information to Caroline so she can get us a warrant to obtain Hugo's DNA when he arrives," Brennan said, taking the file from Cam and bringing the file with her own notes into her arms.

"Alright, I'll call Caroline on the way."

The next day Sweets was sitting across from Hugo, his dark and dirty brown hair falling in front of his brown eyes, an angered smirk on his lips as he brought the cup of water in front of him to his mouth, drinking the water heavily before slamming it down on the table.

"I know you can speak English," Sweets said, leaning back "And I can tell now that you're angry."

"I'm angry over nothing," he said, his voice holding a thick French accent.

"You're scowling, your brow is furrowed, your eyes squinted; you show multiple markers of anger."

"I don't need you're psychological mumbo jumbo, you don't have to tell me how I'm feeling."

"Obviously I have too, since you're girlfriend is dead, and you don't show any sadness at all," Sweets whispered, looking down at the man's hands and seeing that they were folded easily in towards the other.

"Camille was a wonderful woman; but she was done with me, and I with her. It was mutual, and I am not a man who is driven by his emotions."

"Quite the contrary, you're-"

Hugo stood up and slammed his fists on the table "I FEEL NOTHING!" he screamed, growling when he saw multiple agents step into the room and step towards him. "DON'T COME NEAR ME."

"Get him," Booth said from the back room, his voice echoing in their ears and sending them forward at the same time, grabbing his arms and holding him tight so he couldn't move.

"Check his arms, and Sweets, get the drink."

Sweets pulled latex gloves over his hands and placed the glass in a plastic bag, the two agents tearing back Hugo's long sleeve shirt to reveal scratch marks, half way healed, all along his forearm.

"Book him guys, we got him," Booth muttered again, turning off the sound system and walking from the back room into the interrogation room.

"That dirty bitch was cheating on me," Hugo growled. "I saw her, hugging a man, and she had this button that she was going to give to him. I even knew his name. It was Enzo."

"Enzo Chevalier…" Booth began, being interrupted by Hugo's angered yell.

"She married that bastard?"

"Was her brother…" he finished, shaking his head and smirking as his angered face fell to one of pure regret. "That button that she had, was for a friend of hers here, in Washington D.C., a woman, named Arabelle Hertz. She was not cheating, and did nothing wrong; but because of your jealous notions you murdered her in cold blood."

"I thought she was cheating on me! I swear!"

Booth shrugged and shook his head, throwing a small box in the air before catching it, the George Washington campaign pin she had clutched in her hand sitting securely in the felt box. He turned and opened the door, listening as Hugo struggled against the men who had him apprehended, screaming out that he didn't mean to kill her, and how he was sorry.

But Booth knew better than anyone that sorry didn't bring back the dead.

Booth smiled, the box twirling between his fingers as he watched Arabelle make her way towards his office, a slightly shy smile on her lips as she opened his office door, and closed it behind her. "What's the news?"

"We got the guy," Booth explained, smiling and standing up, moving to the front of his desk and leaning against the edge. "And I have something here for you."

"What do you have?" Arie asked, moving forward and taking the box from his outstretched hand.

She opened the small box and her mouth immediately fell open. She easily saw the inscription on the button and recognized it immediately. "This is…the last thing I needed in my collection," she explained, smiling and brushing her fingers against the pin. "Was this for me?"

"Her boyfriend killed her. Thought she was cheating on him with another man, and that she was giving that pin to her paramour, but he didn't realize she was hugging her brother, and that this was meant for you," Booth whispered, smiling at Arabelle and the happiness that had settled in her eyes.

"She knows how hard I've been looking for this. I wonder how she found it."

"It was clenched in her hand when she died," he explained, smiling and leaning forward once she placed the pin back in the box, and settled the box in the curve of her palm.

"So the case is closed…"

"Yes," Booth murmured, standing up and moving closer to her. "It is."

"So we…can…"

Booth smiled and shook his head, stepping forward and bringing his arms around her, her arms wrapping around his neck and their lips clashed, smiles on their faces as their tongues fought viciously.

"Would you like to go out some time?" Booth asked, pulling his lips away to hover only millimeters from hers. "Like…tonight."

"I'd love too," Arie accepted, laughing and bringing their lips together again, both of their arms tightening around their partner, and bringing their bodies to practically meld together.

While, Brennan stepped off the elevator and made her way towards Booth's office, stopping and turning around immediately when her gaze had turned towards his office.

She skipped the elevator and ran down the steps, her whole body shaking as she held in the tension stretched across her chest, her teeth digging into her lip to keep the tears from flowing down her eyes.

She ran to her car and sped back to the lab, hardly throwing the car into park before she ran back into the shiny halls of reason, her voice choked when she called out "Angela!"

"Angela!" she screamed again, quickly walking to her friend's office, and pulling her back inside when she started to emerge.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? What's the rush?"

"He was kissing her," Brennan whispered, her whole body shaking like she was suffering from hypothermia, and the muscles in her throat worked to keep her from crying. "In his office…"

"Oh, Brennan," Angela muttered, immediately pulling her friend into her arms and running her hands up and down Brennan's back. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't breathe Angela," she sobbed, tears now falling freely as her arms were tight around the artist. "I…I don't know why I'm so upset. He should move on, I can't expect him to wait, but I saw him kissing her and I…I, I just, I can't breathe."

"Here, sit down Sweetie," Ange said, pushing Brennan back and setting her on the couch and grabbing her water bottle from her desk. She settled beside her friend and handed the bottle to her, resting her hand on her thigh gently and urged her to drink. "You need to calm down or you're going to give yourself a heart attack."

"I just…I don't understand it," Brennan muttered, shakily drinking from the bottle but only miniscule drops before fully pushing the water away. "Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel like my heart's been crushed inside of my chest, and why does it feel like someone is sitting on me and making it harder for me to breathe?"

"Because, Sweetie, you've had a year to reflect on what your partnership with Booth means. In that one year time, you've realized that you care more for him than any other person in your life. You come back, see him, and your heart soars; because he's finally safe in your arms, but then, days later he meets someone else, and he wants to move forward. You know something was off, and now you had your physical proof. The man you love just broke your heart," Angela whispered, squeezing her friend's leg once her eyes turned to Angela's quickly.

"No…no I don't-"

"Save it," she interrupted, bringing Brennan's head to her shoulder. "I felt exactly like you did when Hodgins and I broke up. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. I couldn't think. I felt ultimately alone, and I spent my weekend with my head stuffed in a carton of ice cream while watching really crappy soap operas on T.V."

"What do I do?" Brennan asked, her voice weak and completely defeated.

"You have to confront him about it; you need to tell him how you feel, quick."

"How can I tell him when I don't even know-"

"You know," Angela assured, squeezing Brennan's leg again "Trust me, you know."

"I don't know Angela, you know I'm no good with what I feel," she whispered, standing up and wiping her eyes. "I'm just going to go home and go to bed."

"You and Booth aren't having your after case drinks?"

"No, I guess not," Brennan said; her voice a sad, puppy like whimper. "It's alright though; I'm not going to ruin his relationship with her…I have no reason too."

"Yes you do!" Ange yelled, standing up and looking at Brennan in disbelief. "You love that man, you need to believe that. If you need proof, you running in here and breaking down because you saw him kissing another woman is proof. You can't keep this bullshit up Bren, you have to tell him."

"I have nothing to tell Ange," she assured, smiling weakly "I'll see you Monday."

Angela watched as her friend walked away, her body still shaky from the scene she had seen, and tears still falling from her eyes.

But still she did nothing.


	30. Even A Whisper Can Seem Like A Scream

**An: Now we're getting somewhere :)**

**Other stories will be updated eventually, I'm just; obviously; really into this story right now. XD**

* * *

It had been a month. Booth and Arie were officially dating, and were taking it slow. They spent nights together, but had yet to actually sleep together. Booth forgot what it felt like to wake up to a woman sleeping beside you, but even though it made him smile; he couldn't help but wish it was Bones.

He missed his partner, his best friend, and every time he thought about her he felt like running to her house and hugging her as tight as he could, whispering to her that he still loved her, even though he was so desperately trying to stop that.

"Seeley," Arie whispered when she woke up, reaching up and brushing her fingers across his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing sweetheart," Booth whispered, holding her hand and gently kissing her forehead. "Nothing is wrong."

She had fallen asleep again and Booth slid from his bed, moving into his living room and sitting down on his couch, bringing his phone between his hands and turning the device slowly.

He opened up his phone and dialed Brennan's number, bringing it to his ear and smiling when her voice came over the line.

"Brennan."

"Bones," he said happily, "What are you doing?"

"I'm at the lab, in Limbo. Please tell me this is important Booth."

"Don't push me away more than you already have Bones. I was calling to ask if you wanted to have lunch with me. I've hardly seen you the past few weeks and I miss you," Booth whispered, feeling the sting of rejection sit heavy against his heart.

She took a deep breath and released a sigh, her voice monotone and lacking any sort of feeling as she simply said "Fine, I'll be ready by one."

Booth closed his phone and rested his head back, smiling weakly when Arabelle walked in and settled down beside him. "Who was that?" she asked tiredly.

"I called Bones. I'm going to have lunch with her today if that's okay."

"That's fine," she nodded, smiling and gently kissing his bare chest. "You haven't seen your partner for awhile. I'm glad you're taking her out."

"Thanks Arie," he whispered, smiling and kissing her gently and running his fingers through her hair. "I should probably get ready."

"Alright. I have to head home anyway. I have to go in to work to finish some paperwork I pushed off," she explained, standing up and bringing her hands over her head, wrapping her arms around Booth's neck when his arms came around her back. They kissed softly and she gently touched his cheek before she stepped back and slid her shoes on. "Call me later."

"Alright, I will."

"Bye," Arie smiled, waving before she closed the door behind her and Booth sighed, feeling a whole new sort of energy pulsing through him, at the knowledge of getting to see his Bones again.

"Bones!" Booth yelled when he happily ran into the lab, jogging into her office and wrapping his arms around her.

"Booth," she said, off guard and tense in his hug before she relaxed and brought her arms around him. "What are you doing?"

"Hugging you."

"Why?"

"Because I missed you Bones," Booth whispered, standing back and smiling at her. "I haven't seen you in days; I haven't really had a conversation with you for weeks. I've missed my girl."

Her heart slammed against her chest and she smiled softly, before shaking her head and talking to him in the quiet voice she used when they were standing close to the other. "I find that highly inappropriate, oberserving you're current relationship status."

"Bones, no matter what you'll always be my girl. You'll always be my Bones," he assured, smiling and rubbing his hands along her arms before walking behind her and sliding her lab coat from her shoulders and placing it on her coat rack. "Are you hungry? You look like you've gotten a lot thinner Bones. Have you been eating right?"

"I eat," she assured, walking around her desk and closing one of her case files.

"But do you eat enough?" Booth asked, leaning across her desk. "What have you eaten today?"

"I ate a peach before I came into work today," Brennan said, looking at him before glancing to her desk and returning her eyes to his, tilting her head in confusion "What?"

"That's all you've eaten today?" he asked, shaking his head and reaching across her desk, grabbing her hand. He pulled her around her desk and pulled her in front of him, bringing his hand up to brush his knuckle across her jaw, turning her head from one side to the other.

Her cheeks seemed deepened, and her eyes seemed darker against the rings settled under her eyes. Her irises were a faded grey, the whites of her eyes were blood shot, and she looked paler than normal. "Bones," he whispered, shaking his head and allowing his finger to linger against her skin before it fell to his side. "We need to get you something to eat, pronto."

"I'm fine Booth, I assure I get my basic nutrients," she argued, stammering slightly from the warmed sensation in her torso.

"Yeah, but even I know the human body needs more than just your basic nutrients," Booth said, taking her hand still held in his and pulling her from her office.

"Booth," Brennan whined, smiling as he pulled her behind him and led her to his SUV.

"Come on, you have to eat more than that," Booth said, taking up one of his French fries and dipping it in ketchup, cupping his hand to stop the sauce from dripping as he reached across the table and fed the cut potato to her with a smile.

Brennan smiled as she ate the French fry he fed to her, laughing gently and reaching across the table to steal another. "I'm not all that hungry anymore Booth."

"Lord, I need to get some chocolate in you," he assured, smiling and feeding another fry to her. "Sit by a camp fire, make some S'mores, and eat until you feel like you're going to explode."

"That sounds very unhealthy," she argued, her face contorted in disgust.

"That's the point! It's not healthy Bones, but you don't need healthy things, you eat too healthy anyway. Finish these fries for a start, then we'll go for a walk and get ice cream," Booth said with a smile.

"I have a feeling I'm going to be sick to my stomach tomorrow," Brennan muttered, her smile weak, and worry in her eyes.

"Well than if that happens, you'll spend the day with me and I'll take care of you," Booth assured, smiling and throwing some money on the table before he stood and held his hand out for her. "Let the splurging begin."

"Uh," Brennan groaned, plopping down on the bench beside Booth and resting her hands on her stomach. "I feel sick."

"Bones, we're just beginning. We still have those S'mores to make, and root beer floats, and cookies, lots and lots of cookies," Booth teased, resting his arm around the back of the bench, and smiling when she curled in on herself and rested her head on Booth's shoulder.

"No, I can't eat anymore," she muttered, snuggling against him and closing her eyes. "I find all of the food you've fed me already has made me quite tired."

Booth smirked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, snuggling his nose into her hair for a second, before he stood and helped her up. "Come on then, I'll drive you by the lab and I'll run in to get your stuff, and then I'll take you home."

She whined and slumped where she stood, her hand settled over her stomach. "Why did I let you do this to me?"

"Because, you just can't deny anything when you're in my presence," he teased, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and bringing her into his side, supporting her with a smile on his face, back to his SUV.

"Alright Bones; go in there and get in your jammies and I'll make you some of the tea my mom used to make me when my stomach hurt," Booth assured, smiling at her and rubbing his hand gently across her back.

"This isn't going to make me throw up is it?"

"No, it'll settle your stomach, and it's amazing to drink right before you go to bed," he whispered, smiling and nodding back towards her bedroom. "Go on, get dressed."

Brennan smiled and nodded, moving back into her bedroom and closing her door behind her. He watched as she walked away and sighed with a happy smile, feeling as if everything was right in the world, until his phone rang and Arie's name popped up on his cell.

"Booth."

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey, finish that paperwork?"

"Yes I did, and I was wondering what you were doing tonight. I'm on my way home but I have to stop by the store, so if you're in the mood, I can make you my famous three meat lasagna," Arie said, smiling gently at her phone.

Booth laughed and shook his head, setting Brennan's stuff on her table before moving into her kitchen and pulling her favorite mug from the cabinet. "I can't today Hun; I went and saw Bones today and she's practically starved, so I fed her all this stuff that made her stomach hurt, and now I'm making her tea to make her feel better."

"If you made the mess, better clean it up babe," Arie joked, smiling and laughing gently "Call me tomorrow then."

"Alright I will," Booth assured, closing his phone and throwing it on her counter before he put water in her kettle and placed it on the stove, pulling out the herbal tea she had that his mother loved and pulled out honey, mint and sugar.

Booth started mixing things together, cutting up the mint and heating the leafy remains with the sugar, before he poured the water into her cup and mixed in the sugar and mint solution along with the honey after he dunked the tea bag into the clear, steaming water.

Booth jumped when he felt Brennan's hands on his sides, her arms sliding around him and to hug him tight from behind.

"What are you doing Bones?" Booth asked with a smile, resting his hand over her arms and turning his head to look at her.

"Hugging you."

"Why?"

"Because I missed you."

He smiled and turned in her arms, holding her to his chest and burying his nose in her hair, his fingers running through the brown tendrils, his hands shaking gently as he felt her heart beat through her chest.

"Come on Bones, I have your tea ready, I'll even tuck you in," he teased, smiling at her and gently kissing her forehead.

"You're very touchy for someone who's in a committed relationship," Brennan muttered quietly, her voice sodt, but showing no distain towards his actions.

"Bones, I'm Italian, we're all touchy," he whispered, smiling and brushing her bangs back before running his hand down her hair to settle on the small of her back. He grabbed her tea and moved her back towards her bedroom, placing the mug on her bedside table before pulling back the sheets for her.

She smiled and settled in her bed, sitting against her headboard and bringing her favorite mug into her hands, smiling at him and shaking her head. "You know me too well," she muttered, sipping the tea and smiling "This tastes amazing."

"And it'll help your tummy," Booth said, poking her stomach gently.

Brennan laughed and sipped at the tea, setting the mug on her bedside table before lying down fully and resting her hands on her stomach. "You're right, this does feel great."

Booth smiled and brushed his fingers across her cheek tenderly, taking in a deep breath and releasing it once her eyes closed at the feel of his touch. "Bones, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she whispered, shivering gently as his fingers continuously brushed against her skin, her hand reaching out to rest against his leg.

"Do you like that I'm dating Arie?" he whispered, looking at her intently when her eyes opened and she slowly sat up, his hand falling to rest close to her hip.

She looked at him and ran her fingers through her hair, brushing the strands away from her face until they fell back into place. She took in a shaky breath and chewed on her lip, before she looked into his eyes, and felt it once again hard to breathe. "No," she whispered finally, sitting back against her headboard and crossing her arms tight across her chest. "No, I don't like it."


	31. A Beginning Long Awaited

**An: I dun knowwww I think I could have done better. :P**

* * *

"Why?"

"You know why."

"Bones," Booth murmured, his hand rising from her hip to rest on her cheek, turning her gaze towards him and brushing his fingers across her skin. "The only thing I need from you right now is honesty. So please, why don't you like that I'm dating Arie?"

She shivered, the overwhelming emotions and close proximity in her darkened bedroom quickly becoming too much for her. "Because it was too fast."

"What do you mean too fast?"

Brennan released a strangled sound, somewhere between a laugh and a cry, her eyes widened in disbelief. "It was too easy for you," she whimpered, her head turning to hide the tear that escaped from her eye. "I haven't been able to think clearly since that day…at the airport. The whole time I was in Maluku the only thing I could think about was you; if you were safe, or if you were thinking of me in the deserts of Afghanistan. I spent every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day wondering exactly _what_ I meant to you," her voice a hiss as she pointed her finger towards him and poked his chest. "For a year you tortured me, and then you came back here and played this charade with me before you met her. After that…"

Booth shook his head, brushing his finger under her chin and bringing her shining blue eyes to lock with his own. "After that what? Temperance, please. After that what?"

The vision of that single moment, with Arie in Booth's arms flashed before her eyes, and another tear snaked it's way down her cheek; a single thought echoing in her ears.

'_It should have been me.'_

"I'm not doing this."

He couldn't stop her when she jumped up on her bed, walking across the mattress and dropping to the floor, striding quickly into her living room with Booth hot on her heels. He reached his hand out and his fingers tangled with hers, stopping her and pulling her closer to him. "Bones, stop running. Face me and tell me what happened after that."

"Seemingly…everything shattered."

"Why?"

"Because I saw you kissing her in your office and it wasn't fair!"

"Stop leaving me with cliffhangers Bones," he growled, framing her face with his hands and using his thumbs to brush away stray tears. "Tell me why you thought it wasn't fair. Explain your reasoning to me."

"I don't think it's fair for you to move on, when I can't," Brennan said, pushing herself away from him with a look of pure self hatred clouding her eyes. "It's selfish, and cruel. I know, but I'm horrible at dealing with my emotions, and if you moved on first…I wouldn't know what to do."

His eyes were wide, taking in the seriousness of her words, but finding it hard to speak against her confession. "Bones," he finally managed, taking in a shaky breath before continuing. "I-I don't understand."

"I don't either truthfully," Brennan muttered, moving and opening her front door. "But you're happy and I'm not so selfish as to compromise that."

"Temperance," he whispered, stepping forward and bringing the hand at her door handle into his own. "Don't you know by now that you make me happy?"

"I do nothing but cause you pain Booth, and you know that."

"If I had to suffer in the depths of seven hells to be with you, I would."

"Hell doesn't exist."

"Bones, you're pushing me away."

"I'm being rational."

"Stop being rational," he whispered, closing her door and angling her so she was trapped between him and the cold, dark oak. "For once in your life, make a decision based on what your heart wants."

"Wanting is an act appropriated by chemicals in the brain. The heart is a muscle important only to pump blood through the human body. It isn't capable of wanting."

"Your metaphoric heart Bones, the one that beats hard enough for me to hear when I'm this close," Booth murmured, stepping closer to her and backing her against her front door. Their intertwined hands rose and rested against her chest, the heavy, steady thumping pushing against their skin.

"We can't do this Booth," Brennan whimpered, shaking her head and staring at him with weak, vulnerable eyes. "It's like we're walking on a tight rope, teetering back and forth, only able to gain our balance by stepping backwards."

"Unless we crash into each other," Booth offered, his hand squeezing hers reassuringly. "Bones, you don't have to play this game with me. I'll always be here to support you, but your decision has to come from your heart."

"I feel like I'm falling when I'm with you, and Booth, it scares the shit out of me," she whispered, her free hand reaching out to settle on his chest, over his heart. "I don't know what to do."

"Fall," he ordered, his hand at his side coming to rest against her cheek. "Fall and I promise I'll catch you."

Her hand slid from his chest to the side of his neck, her thumb running against his jaw line. "So this is what it comes down to?"

"This single moment," Booth assured, breathing deeply and looking deep into her eyes for some sort of confirmation. Her eyes though, held only the mask of rationality, her mind working behind her shining irises.

"There are so many things that can be affected by this Booth. You realize that don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Then how is this so easy for you?"

"My love for you is anything but easy. Like I told you before, I knew the moment I saw you, that you were it. It's not rational, it has nothing to do with science, but it's the truth. Our first kiss outside that shitty bar took my breath away, and it killed me the next day when you said you hated me. But, I kind of deserved it since I was a total ass," he thought out loud, both of them laughing gently; her casted eyes slowly breaking away.

His thumb passed against her cheek, and he released a small sigh. "I never forgot you. Truthfully, you haunted me, despite how angry thinking of you made me. I still remember that hatred in your eyes, and my single worst fear…is to see that again, meant only for me."

"Booth, you know that'll never happen."

"Who's the one who always says you can't tell the future?" he asked, smiling sadly and leaning forward to place a tender, lingering kiss on her forehead, Brennan's eyes closing as she released a content sigh. "Another one of my greatest fears is watching you drive away again. Truthfully Bones, I don't know what I would do without you, which is why I'm trying to bring out what you want, so you won't be as scared."

"Everything about this is scary," she whispered, smiling and brushing her fingers against the stubble on his cheeks. "But I haven't run yet."

"Well you tried, but I stopped you."

"Thank you, for that," Brennan muttered, removing her hand from his and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I feel more comfortable here than I would where ever I ran to."

Booth smiled and his eyes twinkled with hers, their voices lowering into soft, gentle caresses. "Are you still scared?" he asked, his arms wrapping tight around her back.

She smirked, and her eye lids lowered to half mast, her lips turning upward in the dim lighting from one of her candles. "Terrified," Brennan assured, before her hold around his neck tightened and she brought their lips together.

The tender skin touched gently before they pulled away slightly and locked gazes. Nervousness pulsed their final beats within the couple before their lips connected again, and shaky breaths left their bodies at the opening of their mouths.

They couldn't recognize any of their surroundings, their attention directed completely on the fight of their tongues and the warming shots of electricity jolting through their tissues.

Her fingers slid down the line of buttons on the front of his shirt, and his hands snuck under the hem of one of his black FBI shirts, his rough hands running along the soft skin of her back. His lips slipped to her neck and he placed hot suckling kisses to her skin.

He growled when her soft, whimpering moan reached his ears, and he reluctantly pulled back, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Temperance, we can't."

"Why?"She whimpered, holding tight to his shirt and stumbling into him, her lips coming to his jaw in a lust drunken act.

"Because if we're going to do this, we're going to do this right. That means that I'll have to talk and end my relationship with Arabelle, and then our own relationship has to be completely defined before we make love," Booth whispered, his fingers brushing across her cheeks and bringing her lips to his in a tender kiss. "No matter how stupid that sounds right now."

"Mmm," Brennan groaned, smiling and sucking gently on his neck. "You're so domestic."

"That's because," he started, leaning down and wrapping his arms around the back of her legs, lifting her into his arms and bringing her legs around his waist. "I want this to be done right."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly and leaning back, quirking her eyebrow "Then what are you doing?"

"I'm going to carry you back into your room, tuck you in bed, and go home so I can get some rest," Booth murmured, kissing her nose softly before he turned and walked down the hallway, smiling gently and placing tender kisses across her face.

"I don't want you to go though. Do you have to?"

"It would probably be better if I do," he whispered, bending down and resting her on her side of the bed, pulling the sheets up over her stomach.

Brennan reached out and her hand laced with his, turning her head and smiling gently. "Please, stay with me."

"You know I can't resist anything when you look at me like that," Booth groaned, leaning down and kissing her nose gently. "But I really should. A night by yourself might be good for this. You'll be able to think and decide if you're really sure about this."

"Booth, my mind is rarely changed at the last moment," Brennan pointed out, bringing his knuckles to her lips lovingly.

"I know Bones, but tomorrow night, at nine o'clock; on the dot, I'll meet you here, and if you open the door, you'll open everything I have to give you. But if you don't, I'll take that as a sign that you're not ready yet, and I'll go home," he arranged, smiling and brushing his fingers across her lips.

"That's a little corny don't you think?" she mused, smiling and leaning up to kiss his jaw tenderly.

"Maybe, but it'll work for me," he finished, leaning down and kissing her soundly on the lips before standing up and brushing her bangs across her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow Bones."

"Hey Booth," Brennan called, quickly tearing her blankets back and jogging into her living room, smiling and barreling into his arms when he turned and stopped. Her arms tightened around his neck and she clashed their lips together, smiling as the passion lowered to small, tender pecks. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He chuckled and shook his head, kissing her gently before stepping back and nodding down the hallway. "Get some sleep."

"Call me when you get home," she ordered, her normal protectiveness returning to her once again.

"I always do Bones," Booth whispered, opening the door and stealing one more kiss from her, before backing himself into the outside hallway and closing the door behind him, taking in a shaky breath with a smile, before he remembered how important tomorrow was going to be, and how much he was going to have to pray tonight.


	32. Finally Is Here

**AN: Just a cute introduction to what is going to happen, I suppose. Oh and, Auto-Tune the News 12 = Epicness!**

* * *

Arabelle looked up when Booth knocked on her office door, smiling weakly before taking a deep breath and standing up. "What was so special it had to wait till the end of the day?"

"Kinda sounds like you already know," he whispered, shoving his hands into his pockets and shaking his head. "Arie, I'm so sorry."

"Is it Dr. Brennan?"

"Yes."

"Good," she nodded, smiling and crossing her arms over her chest. "Because if you were going to dump me for someone other than her then I would have been mad at you," she confessed truthfully. "I could sort of tell that there had to be something going on between you two."

"It wasn't like that," Booth explained, shaking his head. "We weren't in any sort of romantic relationship before."

"But there was that something," Arie finished, smiling and walking from around her desk "I understand it. It's alright, you don't have to explain."

"I feel horrible though, which is pretty much why I wanted to do this at the end of the day and not totally make your WHOLE day horrible," he whispered, running his hand over his face and shaking his head. "I'm so sorry I have to do this."

"I'm not," she assured, smiling and taking in a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "Because it's better to be apart from someone that doesn't want you then to be with them because they can't have the real person they want."

Booth sighed and moved forward, hugging her softly and kissing her temple gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I believe Dr. Brennan was more hurt with our relationship then I could ever be," Arie reasoned, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest. "You belong with her, it's obvious."

"So obvious to everyone other than us," he muttered under his breath.

"That's how you usually know it's real," she returned, smiling and touching the side of his face gently. "Go. She's probably waiting for you, and you're here trying to make me feel better."

He took in a deep breath and checked his watch, nodding and moving forward to kiss Arie's forehead. "You know," he started as he stepped backwards. "Maybe you should keep your eyes open. You know it's real when it's obvious to everyone but you."

"What are you talking about?"

Booth shrugged and smiled, placing his hands in his pockets and smiling at her over his shoulder before he walked out of her office and down the hall way.

Arabelle sighed and shook her head, leaning back against the edge of her desk and looking at her feet before she heard gentle rapping at the door.

Her eyes met the caring green eyes of her best friend and she smiled, laughing dryly as he practically read her mind and stepped further into her office.

"Are you alright Arie?" he whispered, his hand reaching out and rubbing against her arm until her blue eyes met his green ones, and he nervously brushed his sandy blonde hair out of his eyes.

"I'm fine Ethan," she muttered, smiling at him and shaking her head when he opened his arms anyway, pulling her into a tight hug where he ran his hands up and down her back and pulled the clip out of her hair.

"What did you do that for?"

"You have such pretty hair," Ethan said, smiling and brushing her hair away from her face. "And I hate it every time you have it pulled up."

She smirked and shook her head slowly, taking in a shaky breath as Ethan continued to stare hard into her eyes, his fingers still brushing against the side of her face.

"You know I'm always here for you right?" he asked, his face finally breaking into a smile that warmed her heart.

"I know. I've always known…"

Booth smiled as he sat at a red light, glancing to the clock lit on his dashboard and realized he had extra time.

Heavy traffic filed through the intersection and Booth got to thinking of the woman he was going to see, a small smile on his lips as he shook his head and laughed. "I should check just to make sure," he muttered, driving forward and heading to the Jeffersonian, instead of turning to the right and heading towards Brennan's apartment.

He pushed through the clear, Jeffersonian marked doors and smiled before he leaned against the metal edge, looking down at his partner; dressed in her blue lab coat, and carefully looking over a skeleton sitting on one of the many autopsy tables.

"I had a feeling that you were going to be here," Booth said, smiling at her when he startled her from her work, and earned a semi evil glare.

"Well, no matter how much I like you; you couldn't truthfully expect me to wait around for a man could you?" she returned, smiling as she watched him saunter down the steps.

"Eh, I suppose you're right," he muttered, walking to his partner and resting his hand on her lower back. "That might have just been the romantic making its appearance. I apologize."

She looked up at him and shyly brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling and blushing gently at the adoring gaze he was pressing on her. "Apology accepted," Brennan whispered, brushing her fingers across his bicep. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Booth assured, smiling at her and bringing his arm fully around her back, before pulling her closer into his chest. "I talked to Arabelle."

"Oh really? How did that go? What all did she say?"

"She was fine with it actually. She asked me if I was leaving her for you, and when I told her yes she said she was glad and if it was with someone else, she would be mad at me."

"How was it so obvious to everyone else, but not us?" she asked, before smiling and shrugging "Me…I mean."

"That's what I said, but I told her to keep her eyes open. Her best friend Ethan totally likes her, and he went into her office to comfort her once I left, so I'm sure that's going to be happening soon," he nodded, smiling and brushing his hand up and down her back. "I think we should talk before this goes anywhere."

"I agree. I have some things I really want to tell you," Brennan muttered, turning from his arms to her clipboard and signing her name on the bottom. "I'm done with this skeleton, so if you give me a couple minutes to put the bones away and place the file in Cam's inbox, I'll meet you in my office and we can talk."

"Alright, I'll order take out. Thai?"

"You know it," she agreed, smiling at him and chuckling softly as he made his way into the lab, her heart running at the speed of light, but calming quickly when she realized that for the first time in her life, she didn't want to run.

She quickly walked into her office, throwing away the gloves she shoved into the front pockets of her lab coat, before she took said coat off her arms, and let her hair fall around her shoulders as she made her way to her coat rack, and placed the collar of her lab coat on one of the hooks.

She ran her fingers through her hair and placed her hair band on her wrist, before she made her way to her coach and settled down beside Booth. He placed a plate of food in front of her on the table, and he handed her a pair of chop sticks. "I got all your favorites, and made sure I put the perfect amount on your plate," he muttered, finishing sarcastically before smiling at her and laughing when she gently slapped the back of his head.

"Rat bastard," she teased, before reaching over and using her pointer finger and her thumb to frame his chin. "But thank you."

"Well I've been feeding you for about three years now. I know what you like."

"You know a lot of things I'm not exactly sure I want you to know."

"Are you going to have to kill me now because I know too much information?"

"Possibly."

He tilted his head back and laughed, shaking his head and looking at her with a bright smile before he grabbed a helping of noodles between his chop sticks. He brought the delicious tasting pasta to his mouth and sighed, eating with her in silence for a few minutes before she settled her plate down and turned towards him. "I'm concerned."

"'bout what Bones?" he asked, swallowing the rest of his bite and moving his plate to rest with hers.

"About…what we're entering," she whispered, curling her knees under her. "There are some things that I think I should tell you before this goes any further."

"Alright," he nodded, smiling and reaching forward to brush her hair behind her ear. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Brennan took in a deep breath and looked at him with a smile. "I just…want to tell you that, I'm scared that I'm going to mess this up, and I would appreciate if you let us take this slow…like, three toed sloth slow."

"Is a three toed sloth supposed to be the slowest animal in the world?"

"Second slowest land animal," she explained, smiling and reaching forward to brush her fingers against his.

"Why second slowest?"

"Because super slow will be too slow, and then I'll try and speed it up and then screw it up all together," Brennan explained.

Booth tilted his head and looked at her with a smile. "You're a very complicated woman, you know that right?"

She laughed and nodded, closing her eyes and breathing out a shaky breath as his hand came to the back of her head and gently pulled her into his chest; leaning back against the arm of the couch and cradling her in his arms with his fingers running through her hair.

"Oh, I know," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around him, and sighing contently. "It's only going to get worse though, so enjoy it while it lasts."

"I think I'll be able to handle you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I'm your weak spot," he whispered, kissing her head softly and holding her tighter. "And I promise that I'll give you anything you need. Space, time, I understand you Temperance, and as long as you trust me to help you through the rough spots you don't understand, then everything will be okay."

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of his cologne, turning her nose into his chest for a moment before she relaxed fully against him and smiled against his shirt. "I trust you. Just…promise me you won't let me push you away for stupid reasons. You know how to get into my head, and please, use that to your advantage if I'm being unreasonable."

"Can we get that in writing in case I have to bring up that request later?" he teased, smiling and bringing his hands around her face when she angled her body differently and looked up at him.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised, smiling and pushing up on her arms until she was able to slink her body further up his until her chest settled against his and she brought their lips together softly.

He gasped gently and groaned quietly; moving his fingers through her hair in time with the movement of their lips. They pulled away slowly, and he took in a weak breath before he asked in a soft voice: "Are you sure this isn't 'fast' for you? I truthfully haven't actually asked you out yet."

"We're here are we not?" Brennan asked, raising her eye brow questioningly and laughing when he nodded. "It isn't like one of us is going to just run out of here."

"Mm good point," Booth muttered, smiling at her with hooded eyes, his thumb brushing against the soft skin of her lips before he brought his work toughened skin to gently touch near her eye. "So this isn't too fast for you?"

"Another thing I would like to ask you for," she whispered, smiling at him and brushing her hair behind her ear. "Let's be ourselves."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's be Booth and Bones, not people we think we should be."

"So you mean, instead of five star restaurants, you want the diner and midnight Chinese runs?"

"Yes," Brennan confessed, matching his bright smile. "I mean, it would be nice to go out every once in a while, but eating Chinese after midnight with you at my apartment means more to me than a highly acclaimed restaurant."

"I agree, besides, think how happy Mama is going to be when she finds out we're together now."

"Maybe we'll get free desert."

Booth laughed and shook his head, bringing his leg to the other side of her so that she was rested in the curve provided by his body; held close to him by his legs pressing against her hips and his hands still settled against her face. "Thank you for giving us a chance."

"Booth," she muttered, shaking her head and snaking her hand into his hair. "Just…come here," Brennan demanded, tightening her hold and pulling his lips to hers, bringing their lips, tongues, and hearts to tangle together in a delicious reconciliation for a relationship that had long since been put off.


	33. I Feel Like This Is Going Somewhere

**An: Meh I think it blows. XD**

* * *

Hours later their love powered embrace hadn't faltered, and as sunlight reached the deepest recesses of the Medico Legal lab, the two remained settled soundly against each other; asleep in her office.

* * *

"Where's Brennan?" Angela asked as her heels clacked on the reverberating metal constructed into the platform. "Her car is in the garage."

"We haven't seen her this morning," Cam answered, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest. "But Booth's truck is out front."

A siren smile stretched across the artist's lips and her eyes met with her husband's. "Do you think they followed in our footsteps and used the Egyptian storage room for their delicious advantage?"

"Too much information," their boss said quickly, standing up and moving toward the edge of the platform's back steps. "Have you checked her office Angela?"

"No..." she replied, quickly moving to Cam's side before jogging down the steps and creeping towards her friend's office. Her perfectly manicured nails closed around the threshold as she leant in, and the pathologist shared an interested look with her co worker when his wife jumped a little bit and frantically motioned for the others to come closer.

"What do you think it is," Hodgins asked as he walked with Cam through the metallic work stations.

"Their probably wrapped up naked together, and I don't think I'm ready to see that much of Dr. Brennan."

"Yeah, mystery is always good," he joked, laughing and slowing when they neared Brennan's office.

"Look at them!" Angela hissed, smiling like a mad woman as she pointed towards the opened threshold.

"Please warn me now if I'm about to see something I don't want to see," Cam demanded, placing her finger into the air.

"You aren't. If they were naked I would have screamed and ran for my camera," the artist answered truthfully, smiling at the dual concerned gazes. "Hey, don't look at me like that. You both know you love me."

Hodgins shrugged and looked to Cam, sighing and muttering: "She has me there," before stepping up to the door and glancing inside, moving inward and crossing his arms over his chest. "Perfect blackmail material."

"No Hodgy," Ange whispered, moving in and locking her arm with his. "They look so cute together."

"Aw," Cam uncharacteristically muttered, before looking over and sharing a small laugh with the others. "Oh come on, I can be a hopeless romantic too."

Angela slid out her phone and crept over to one of the chairs facing the couch; settling down and crossing her legs. She took a quick picture of the two before she settled back and placed her laced fingers around her knee, looking to the others and motioning to the other chairs. "Well, we aren't letting them get away with this are we?"

"I'm in," Hodgins quickly said, moving a chair close to Angela and sitting down while Cam reluctantly followed.

"How long is it going to take before one of them wakes up?" Hodgins asked, looking to Angela before turning his eyes to Cam.

"Bren can sleep like a rock is she really wants to, and the poor thing hasn't slept well in days."

"Booth will probably hear us soon," Cam added. "A mouse moving in a wall could wake him up."

As if on command, Booth shifted on the couch; his arms tightening around Brennan as he buried his nose momentarily in her hair before he cracked an eye open and glared mainly at the smiling, fiery eyed woman sitting in front of him.

"Good morning sunshine," Ange greeted, smiling and curling her fingers in a wave.

"What are you guys doing," Booth asked gruffly, running his hands over his face.

"I was wondering where my best friend was and when I stumbled on this AH-dorable scene, I couldn't pass up sitting here and watching."

"Shh," he hushed, running his fingers through Brennan's hair. "She is sleeping, so please keep it down. And frankly, sitting and watching us sleep is a little creepy."

"Would you expect anything else from me?"

"Hmm?" Brennan muttered, shifting against his chest and bringing her fingers to her eyes. "What's going on?"

"You fell asleep in your office sweetie," Ange answered, matching Booth's evil glare with a charm smile of her own.

Brennan peeked through her fingers and smiled, laughing softly before resettling herself against Booth's chest. "Good morning Angela."

"Morning babe. So are you going to tell me and my minions why you are so lovingly embraced in each other's arms?" Angela asked, smiling down her friend when she stood and reached for Booth's hand.

"Nope," Brennan answered truthfully, brushing her hair out of the way and sliding on her heels from yesterday. "But Cam, we're going to head back to our places to get cleaned up and we'll be back in about an hour, is that okay?"

"Of course. I'll call Cullen and warn him so he doesn't chew your ass out for coming in late," She offered, standing up and moving from Brennan's office and to her own.

"But...Brennan!" Angela screamed, standing up and holding her hands out questioningly. "What the hell?"

"Don't worry about it Angela," Brennan pushed off, grabbing Booth's jacket and throwing it over her arm.

"How can I not worry about it when you're all pressed up to Agent McStudly here?"

"Just, don't worry about it," the anthropologist said again, reaching out and intertwining her fingers with Booth's. "If you need to know anything Ange, I promise you'll be the first to know."

The couple left Angela standing in Brennan's office, mouth gaping, and shaking her head as her friend looked back at her and smiled, leaning up and gently kissing Booth's jaw before they completely disappeared from sight.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ange growled, glancing down at her husband's smiling face.

"What? I was just enjoying the show," Hodgins teased, laughing as he stood and his arm burned when the artist's firm hand forcefully met his skin.

* * *

"What was all that about?" Booth asked the second they were both settled in his Sequoia.

"I don't know. I just think I want torture Ange a little bit before giving her what she's been pining for since day one," Brennan admitted, smiling at him and rubbing away the lasting sleep from her eyes.

He chuckled and reached over, taking her hand in his and passing his thumb against her skin. "So what do you want me to do? Drop you off at your apartment, go get dressed, then come pick you up and we can go to the diner for some breakfast?"

"That sounds perfect," she muttered, looking at him and smiling.

"You're still tired aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Hey beautiful," Booth called at the older southern woman as they entered the diner, hand in hand.

"Hey Seeley, Temperance. How are my lovelies doing today?" Mama asked, brushing some of her long, curly, red hair behind her shoulder. "The usual?"

"You know it, and I have to say both of us are just wonderful," Booth said, bringing their intertwined hands close to his heart; pulling Brennan closer to his side. "What would you say Bones?"

"I think wonderful sums it up perfectly," she answered, her chin resting on his shoulder gently as he leaned over and placed a loving kiss to her temple.

"Sherrie!" Mama called to the back "Put on Seeley and Tempe's usual then I'm going to take my break."

"You got it Cher," Sherrie answered, expertly tossing delicious food across the stoves.

"Mama thinks you two have some things to share with this old girl," she stated, placing her hands on her apron covered hips, and looking over the couple clinically.

"You won't tell Angela, is it fair to tell Mama?" Booth asked, his lips moving close to her ear.

"I'm just out to get Ange. We can relay the news to Mama, that'll be no problem," Brennan assured, smiling at him and closing her eyes on a content sigh when his lips pressed against her forehead, and his arms wrapped tight around her body.

"I have to say that I saw this coming the second I saw you with that pretty little blonde girl," Mama muttered, sitting back and crossing her arms. "But I would never pin you as the jealous type Temperance."

"Me either," Booth teased, leaning forward on his elbows as she wrapped her hands around his arm.

"I'm not really. I didn't do much besides self destruct and that was my own direct problem not yours," she answered, brushing her fingers up and down the pressed material of his suit while smiling softly.

"I can see that. You sugar are just too thin. I'll have Mama fix you up some delicious, filling vegetarian recipes I looked up especially for you doll."

"Just take into account I have to be standing over a skeleton for the next three hours," the anthropologist called, smiling and sharing a gentle laugh with the caring waitress before she turned her attention back to her partner, resting her chin against his shoulder.

"What's up Bones?" he asked softly, smiling and resting his head against hers. "I never pictured you the kind of woman to hang onto her man."

"I'm usually not, but of course I've never really been in a relationship like this before," she confessed, smiling and biting her lip. "The only men I've ever been with or dated was just, impulse ensued. I've never dated someone I've gotten to know first."

"And you trust me?"

"I trust you," she assured, tightening her arms around his bicep and moving her lips to his cheek. "Will my life, with my heart, with everything."

He smiled and chuckled, shaking his head and moving his hand to hers. "Did you ever think it would turn out like this?"

"Not at all. Did you?"

"Nope, but I did have my fantasies."

"And compared to reality?"

"Reality is infinitely better," Booth assured, smiling and kissing her temple once more before Mama brought out what seemed to be a seven plate continental breakfast, disheartening the couple's appetite with a single glance.

"Please, stop me when I say I'm full," she asked, her eyes turning to his.

"As long as you give me the same liberty."

"Deal."

* * *

They went through their day normally, returning to the diner two more times before the sun set and they decided to talk a walk together; like usual, finding themselves at the Lincoln Memorial, but instead of sitting beside each other, Brennan sat on the step below the step Booth sat on, and reclined against his chest.

His arms circled her tightly, and he jumped when she started skimming her fingers over his arm.

"Ticklish?" she asked with a smile, barely touching his skin as she ran her fingers over his arm again.

"No you just scared me," he argued, smiling when she nodded slowly.

"Sure," she relented at first, before she arched her fingers over his knee and squeezed, laughing when he jumped and grabbed both of her wrists.

"Quit that woman," Booth teasingly growled, nipping at her neck as he wrapped his arms tight around her, pinning her limbs to her chest.

Her laugh floated through the air, and she wiggled in his arms, smiling wildly as he settled his cheek against the top of her head, and moved his hands to lace with hers. "Why are you smiling," Booth asked quietly, kissing the top of her head before returning his cheek to her hair.

"I just…I feel good about this," Brennan answered, leaning back and looking up at him.

"And why exactly do you feel good about this? We are only one day in Bones."

"I can't really explain it," she whispered, reaching her arm around him and running her fingers leisurely through his hair. "I just…feel like this is going somewhere."

"Oh that's so not fair," he muttered, shaking his head before meeting her gaze and laughing, bringing the tips of his fingers to touch the underside of her chin until their lips closed together softly.


End file.
